


My Pretty Keeper

by dreamertyler



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anal Sex, Angst, Anxiety, Bath Time Tyler, Best Friends, Blow Jobs, Blushing, DEMA (Twenty One Pilots), Depression, Dom/sub Undertones, Domestic Fluff, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Fingering, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Frotting, Gen, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Josh is rich, Keeper - Freeform, Keeper and Protector, M/M, Making Out, Masturbation, Neck Kissing, Oral Sex, Pacifiers, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Phone Sex, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Praise Kink, Recovery, Seizures, Sex Toys, Shy Tyler, Soft Boys, Stalking, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tyler and Josh take lots of baths, but not really, dema, original concept, protector - Freeform, slight DDLB, soft tyler, trench
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:54:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 34,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22345963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamertyler/pseuds/dreamertyler
Summary: (This is the sequel to my first book "Keeper and Protector."Please read the events of the first book before reading this, otherwise you may be a little (or a lot) confused!)"I have everything I want. So why do I feel like I'm losing everything I need?"Keeping time and Time Keepers.
Relationships: Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph
Comments: 48
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"If brokenness is a form of art, I must be a poster child prodigy."**
> 
> **Hello! Welcome to "My Pretty Keeper!"**

Lately, it seemed that the 86,400 seconds within a day passed by quickly, perfectly mirrored by the constant soft ticks embedded underneath a Time Keeper symbol that was slowly losing the effects from razor blades and needles.

But today, as the warm sunlight streamed through the bedroom windows, Josh had the slightest notion that today was going to be a good day. Though, as he gazed across the bed to a sleeping Tyler, he knew better than anyone else that another day spent with his Keeper was always a great day in itself.

"Good morning, angel." Josh smiled when Tyler finally opened his eyes, said boy giggling and curling his body up against his Protector's as he kissed up and down his neck. "Happy Tyler Day."

A delirious smile painted across his facial features, Tyler felt his Time Keeper speed up just from Josh's voice and touch. "Mm, I think it should be Happy Josh Day instead."

"How about we combine our names together and call it... Happy Tysh Day?"

"Tysh is cute." He smiled, leaning up so he could kiss Josh on the cheek. "Just like you."

"No, I think that's you." Josh hummed into his neck. "Waking up next to my beautiful Keeper is always a wonderful start to another Monday morning."

Blushing at the compliment, Tyler wrapped his arms around Josh's shoulders so he could hold him close. "Mm, thank you, Jish. I wish you didn't have to go into the office. I want to snuggle with you in bed all day long." He giggled.

"Me neither. But my supervisor's been laying it on really thick lately. I think it's because the CEO is going to announce his replacement soon." Josh sighed a little as he thought about all the potential consequences that might entail. "The word in the company grapevine is that he's planning this huge company gala and he's gonna make the announcement there. No one has any clue when it might be, but with everything that's been going on lately, I'm sure it'll be a hot mess."

"I guess we'll find out if Gabriel's plan worked or not," Tyler said quietly, looking down.

Josh's body language tensed up a little as he thought back to what had happened. "God, if my dad is picked for the position, I'll probably snap right then and there." He gave Tyler a sheepish grin. "You'll have to come bail me out of some LA jail."

In his mind, Tyler knew that Josh was kidding... but he _also_ knew his Protector still had a lot of underlying resentment towards his father for what had happened almost two months earlier. "Do... do you think you'll ever talk to him again?"

"I hope I never have to, honestly. I can't forgive him for what he did to you." Josh sighed. "But at the same time, I think a lot about what's gonna happen with my job in the future if he _does_ take over as the CEO."

Tyler nodded. "I understand, J." Reaching up to Josh's hair, he threaded his fingers through the soft curls. "Don't forget what I told you before: I'll always have a listening ear and a big hug waiting for you, just so you always know how much I care about you."

Josh turned so he could bury his nose into the mess of brown hair on Tyler's head, inhaling his beloved's scent. "I love you so much, Tyler. You make me feel so safe."

"You make me feel safe too, Josh," Tyler murmured, the beginnings of a soft smile on his face as he hugged Josh.

"Sweet boy. Oh, don't forget about Oli's appointment this afternoon."

Tyler remembered that he was supposed to tag along with Fynnley and Oliver to his doctor's appointment later on in the day. He was going to see the specialist he had from when he was terminally ill for another follow-up appointment; driving an hour away to another city wasn't exactly the most convenient, but this specialist was one of the best when it came to treating Keepers with that disease, so the drive was well worth it to Oliver and his Protector.

"I won't."

Josh kissed his forehead before sighing a little, his eyes wandering over to the clock on the bedside table. "I should probably get up. I don't have to be there early this morning but I _do_ have a meeting at 11:30 so I need to drag my sleepy butt out of this bed."

Tyler smiled at the end of his sentence before letting go of Josh so the older man could pull himself up and out of the bed. "It's so cold without you already."

Josh chuckled, a mischievous look in his eyes. "You know, you _could_ join me in the shower." He winked at him.

"The... shower?" Tyler's eyes were as wide as could be. "How can two people shower together without bumping into each other?"

It took everything Josh had not to laugh at the naïvety of his question. "Oh, well, that's one of the fun parts. Your bodies are close, you can wash each other's hair, kiss, and whatever else you might want to do." He gave him a smile. "And besides, we have a big walk-in shower so it's not like you would be smushed between the wall and the faucet or anything."

Tyler started giggling, a small blush dusted across his cheeks. "Um... that sounds really nice, actually."

"It is." Josh circled around the bed so he could lean down and kiss Tyler on the cheek. "You're so adorable. Darn you and your 'brushing teeth before kissing' rule," he said, smiling.

The brunette gave him a sheepish smile in return. "Sorry, Jish."

Josh laughed. "I'm just messing with you, sweet boy." He reached down and took Tyler's hand, squeezing it a little. "Promise me you'll behave yourself while I'm in the shower?"

"Actually..." Tyler squeezed his hand back. "I think I want to join you. But I can't promise I'll behave, though."

"Ooh, la, la." Josh grinned before tugging on Tyler's hand a little. "Come on, baby boy."

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

"Having someone else wash your hair feels amazing," Josh sighed out as he leaned his head back into Tyler's touch, said fingers gently scrubbing away at faded yellow hair.

"Seeing you relaxed like this is amazing." Tyler smiled as he moved his hands further down Josh's head, fingers combing through the baby hairs on the nape of his neck. "Your hair's so soft."

"Yours is too." Josh closed his eyes and let out a soft 'hmm.' "I want to dye my hair another bright color again but a part of me just wants to go back to my natural hair color."

"I remember you showing me pictures of yourself from years ago when you had black hair. You looked great." Tyler came out from behind Josh and kissed him on the cheek. "But you're handsome, no matter what your hair looks like."

"Thank you, baby boy." Josh smiled before stepping back underneath the shower stream so he could rinse the shampoo out. When he finished, swiping the hair out of his eyes so he could see, he had the brightest smile on his face. "All done!"

"And let me guess, 'all dry' too, right?" Tyler teased, a mischievous smile on his face. "So many wet sheets and clothes after your showers, Mr. Jishwa."

"Better for them to be wet from water than from something else." Josh laughed as Tyler's cheeks turned red. "Seriously, though, I'll try to dry off better after I take showers."

"You're fine," Tyler said, taking his Protector's hand into his. "I still love you to the stars and back, wet skin and all."

Josh turned around completely, letting go of Tyler's hand so he could drape his wrists over his shoulders instead. "I love you too, baby, to all the planets in our own galaxy and beyond."

Tyler let himself be guided backwards until his shoulders brushed against the cool, wet tile. Moving his head, he closed his eyes, letting the water stream down his head and face as he felt Josh's hands rubbing small circles into his skin. Normally, he hated having the water on him, but something about having Josh with him like this made everything feel _so_ much more different.

"Sweetheart," Josh whispered into Tyler's ear, his voice barely audible over the water. "You're so beautiful."

Tanned arms wrapped around a pale back, pulling the older of the two closer until their skin was flush against each other. And that's how they stood, Tyler's back up against the wall as they embraced each other, no words exchanged between the two as they basked in the thick haze of intimacy surrounding them.

"I really want to kiss you, baby. Can I?" Josh's voice brought Tyler back into the present.

He smiled at the question, grateful that him and Josh had brushed their teeth together before they got in the shower. "Y-Yes..."

It didn't take long for their kisses to turn passionate, Josh's hands moving to tangle themselves into Tyler's hair. But with every imprint left behind on his soul from his Protector's fingers, Tyler found himself standing on a thin line between fear and fascination.

_One month could make or break a person..._

Pulling away from the kiss, a flash of fear went through Tyler's mind as he felt one hand rest on his lower back while the other one went around his neck.

Completely innocent in context, but...

"Josh," Tyler said, his voice a bit shaky as he reached up to place his hand on Josh's bicep. "I-I hope we aren't gonna have sex in the shower."

"Um, not unless you want to." Josh chuckled dryly. The intensity inside of his eyes waned a little when he saw the uncertain look on Tyler's face. "Are you okay, baby?"

"Y-Yeah..." Tyler looked down, painfully aware of the conflicting feelings inside of him. "Um, I think shower sex is dangerous, anyway, right?"

"It can be if you're not careful." Josh bit down on his bottom lip, concerned he had said or done something to offend Tyler. "Did I do something wrong? I promise I wasn't trying to come onto you or anything like that, I just love kissing you."

Tyler shook his head. "No, no, I love kissing you too. You didn't do anything wrong." _It's just my brain being stupid..._ "It's hard for me to explain."

Josh could tell from Tyler's body language that the younger boy was feeling self-conscious, so he decided to take his hands away. "It's okay, darling. You know you can always tell me if something I say or do makes you feel uncomfortable, right? I'll always stop right then and there, no questions asked."

He nodded slowly. "I know, J... I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize." Josh gave him a sweet smile. He started to reach out for Tyler but stopped in fear of upsetting his Keeper even more. "Is... is it okay if I kiss your forehead?"

Guilt flooded Tyler's veins as he stared into Josh's confused, hesitant eyes, desperately wishing his mouth would form coherent words that made at least some sense of the muddled mess inside of his mind. "O-Of course, J. Gosh, I don't want you to think you have to ask to touch me every single time now. I... I just..."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid..._

Josh held a finger up to the younger boy's lips before leaning in and kissing him on the forehead. "I know, baby. But I want you to always feel safe around me. No matter what."

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

An hour away from Columbus, three young men were nothing but smiles as they sat inside of a local fast food place, taking in the aftermath of a busy afternoon on the run and go.

"Fynn, I feel like everytime I have an appointment in Dayton, we spend more time driving here than we do with the actual doctor."

"You know, I wish I could get paid thousands of dollars to come in, ask a few questions, poke and prod, and then be out of the room in less than five minutes." Fynnley chuckled. "But, hey, at least he gave us the thumbs-up until next year."

Despite any hangups on the brevity of his visit, Oliver's follow-up appointment had went really well. After comparing notes, labwork and exams from all of the previous visits, the doctor gave Oliver the "all clear," releasing him from any further visits until the following year... and that visit was entirely optional, barring his state of health remained the same.

For now... Oliver was illness-free.

"I'm so proud of you, baby," Fynnley said as he wrapped his arm around his Keeper. "You're such a fighter."

"He's right," Tyler agreed, a sweet smile on his face. He reached out and laid his hand on top of Oliver's. "You're an inspiration. I'm so happy you're doing better now."

Oliver looked a bit embarrassed from all the positive attention, though the smile on his face told more than words ever could. "T-Thank you. I don't feel much like a fighter or an inspiration, though. I'm just... Oliver."

Fynnley smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Hey, just being Oliver automatically makes you amazing."

"And just being Fynnley automatically makes you a goofball." Oliver giggled before stealing a kiss from Fynn. "I love you, Fynnie."

"Dork. I love you too, Oli."

Watching the two of them together made Tyler's Time Keeper start to ache, his heart longing to be with his Protector. He had been texting Josh on-and-off ever since they left Columbus, but it still didn't get rid of the innate need to be by his lover's side and most importantly, to have his approval.

Nothing seemed any different after what happened that morning, yet Tyler still feared he had managed to hurt Josh's feelings... all because of his stupid insecurities.

_It's not you... it's me._

But Tyler already knew those words had the potential to do more harm than good. And it would _never_ be that simple because there was no easy way for him to explain things to Josh without appearing like he had taken five steps back in the span of a month.

And the last thing Tyler wanted to do was disappoint Josh after all they had been through together...

"Fynn, you're so messy!"

Tyler snapped out of his thoughts to see Fynn trying to "contain" his mess on the table while Oliver just shook his head.

"Are you actually getting any of it in your mouth, Fynnley?" he teased, laughing a little.

Oliver grinned when he heard that. "Fynn's like a clogged vacuum cleaner; he tries to suck up all his food at once but most of it doesn't actually make it down his throat."

Fymnley scoffed. "Yo, you don't seem to mind my mouth when I'm sucking your dick, now _do_ you, baby boy?"

Oliver elbowed Fynnley in the side, much to the older man's displeasure, while Tyler just blushed and giggled away at his friends' antics.

A sassy Protector and an even sassier Keeper... a recipe for disaster for most, but for Fynnley and Oliver, it was the spontaneity and spice they needed to keep each other sane, and most importantly... intertwined in a deep bond that no one else could possibly break.

By this time, Tyler's drink was almost empty, so he decided to get up and go over to the soda fountain machine for some more (while also promising to bring back napkins for the two messy lovebirds).

As he filled up his drink, one of the young women who had been working behind the counter came up next to him. A sleeve of drink lids in hand, she gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to her work. Tyler gave her a soft 'hello' in response, feeling really shy as usual, and moved further down the drink bar so he wouldn't be in her way.

Picking up his drink, Tyler had just turned around to face the napkins/condiment station when someone caught the corner of his eye.

The same stance... the same style of clothing...

_It can't be him._

Tyler's lungs felt trapped inside of a vice grip as he stared at the back of a man whose appearance held the tell-tale signs of his worst nightmare.

_It can't be._

An overwhelming sense of dread came over him as he backed up a few feet, heart pounding away in his chest as he struggled to breathe through the awful death grip.

It wasn't until Tyler heard a surprised yelp that he realized he had dropped his drink on the ground. He stared at the pool of soda and ice on the ground for a split second before his eyes darted over to the girl, who looked just as surprised as he did.

"Hey? Are you okay?"

When Tyler looked across the way again, a million different emotions hit him at once when he made eye contact with the man... who _wasn't_ Gabriel. The man gave him a weirded-out look before shaking his head and walking out the door, leaving the younger boy in an unparalled state of shock.

Tyler's mind transported him thousands of miles back to the night he had stood in front of the Keepers for the first time and had felt the fear of their unrelenting, broken eyes staring into his soul. It didn't take long for the panic to overwhelm him as the same, unmistakable ringing filled his ears, blocking out anything and everything else happening around him.

Oliver and Fynnley jumped up and rushed over there once they realized what was going on. It took the two of them, along with the verbal "assistance" of the girl, to get Tyler back over to their table so he could sit down.

Face buried inside of his hands, Tyler sobbed and shook uncontrollably as he reached the peak of his panic attack. Fynnley had gone to get some paper towels and water, while Oliver and the girl tried their best to be a source of comfort during what had to be an incredibly terrifying moment for the younger boy.

"Should I call for help?" the girl asked, trying to keep her voice low so Tyler wouldn't overhear.

Oliver shook his head, teeth worrying at his bottom lip a little as he looked at his dear friend. "No, that has to be Tyler's choice if he wants help. We don't want to make things worse."

The girl nodded. "You're right. I... I'm not sure what exactly happened. He was filling up his drink and I guess something spooked him because he dropped it and just... freaked out."

Inside of his head, all Oliver could think about was what or _who_ had made Tyler feel this way? There was no possible way it could have been Nico... sure, he was the most manipulative and conniving person he had ever met in his life, but even _he_ couldn't manage to escape from a maximum security prison... right?

Left hand laid on Tyler's knee, Oliver's right hand curled up into a fist as his mind went to the other, much more real possibility... and if it were true, he was ready to jump in the car with Fynnley and scour the _whole_ city until they found that low-life and beat the crap out of him.

Regardless, Oliver knew he had to do his best to help his precious Ty-Ty feel safe.

He scooted his chair in a bit closer so he could move his hand to rest on Tyler's back, rubbing slow circles into his skin. "Ty, it's me, Oli," the blue-eyed boy said softly. "Focus on your breathing for me, sweetness... in and out, in and out... good job. So proud of you."

By the time Fynnley came back with the water and paper towels, Tyler had calmed down considerably, though one could tell from the expression on his face that his head was still caught inside a thick haze of confusion and anxiety.

Once Tyler seemed more in sync with reality again, the girl picked up the cup of water and offered it out to him. "Here, this will make you feel better," she said softly. "Don't drink it too fast, though, or you'll make yourself sick."

Tyler looked at the cup and then back up at the young woman. Something about her body language and the deep empathy within her eyes reminded him of his Protector... it made him feel safe, even while underneath the gaze of a stranger.

He took a sip of water before breaking the vice grip on his lungs, a long, heavy sigh rushing out of his mouth. "T-Thank you," he finally said, his voice rasping a little.

Fynnley came over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, how you feeling, Ty-Guy?"

"Embarrassed..." Tyler looked away from everyone, absolutely certain he had just made a fool out of himself in public. "My face is probably gonna be plastered all over social media now: Skinny White Dude Has Public Freakout In Dayton, Ohio."

The blonde stifled a laugh at his choice of words before receiving a dirty look from Oliver. Clearing his throat, he patted Tyler on the shoulder. "Tyler, there isn't anyone else in here, so don't feel embarrassed. Nobody was staring at you or recording you."

"It's been dead in here all day," the young girl reassured him. "And even if there had been people in here recording or saying mean stuff, I would've had my manager kick them out."

A sense of relief came over Tyler as he realized no one else had witnessed his unexpected emotional "moment." Well, all except for...

"What's your name?"

"My name is Iris." She turned and smiled at each of them. "Your name is Tyler, right? Are these your friends?"

Tyler nodded. "Yes, that's Oliver and his Pro-- um, boyfriend, Fynnley." Sighing a little, he looked back at Iris with a sad, albeit sheepish smile on his face. "I'd say it's nice to meet you but I probably didn't make the greatest first impression..."

"No, you're totally fine, Tyler. You scared me a little but I was more concerned about making sure you were okay."

"I... I think I'm okay." He sighed again. "There's this guy out there who... hurt me a lot. I saw someone in here who looked just like him and... it frightened me. He's _supposed_ to be in jail right now, but I know he's capable of anything. I try not to live my life in fear... but it's so scary."

Iris felt her heart pull as she looked at the troubled expression on the younger boy's face. "Oh, my gosh... I'm so sorry."

"You're safe with me and Fynn," Oliver said softly, rubbing his hand up and down Tyler's back. "We're not gonna let anything bad happen to you."

Tyler sniffled, looking down at his lap. "P-Promise?"

"Promise." Oliver kissed him on the cheek. "Always."

Iris touched the side of his arm softly to get his attention, a kind smile on her face. "Hey, I probably should get back to work now that I know you're okay. Is there anything else I can do to help you?"

He shook his head. "No, no, thank you for your help. You're really sweet." Biting his lip, he wasn't sure whether to reach out for a hug, a handshake or maybe nothing at all. "Um..."

Iris just patted his shoulder, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable with too much physical contact from a stranger. "Stay safe, Tyler. And be kind to yourself, okay?"

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

As Tyler looked out at the trees, greenery and asphalt rushing past on the highway, Fynnley and Oliver's front seat conversations drifting in the background, he wondered when and how he had turned into such a pathetic Keeper.

_Why am I so weak?_

Yet another mile marker passed by as a reminder that familiar surroundings were soon to appear again. Tyler had left his tears and panic in Dayton, yet insecurity and fear still reigned true in Columbus, reminding him that no matter where he went, he still couldn't detach the anchor holding down his soul.

He had decided not to tell Josh what happened, despite Oliver and Fynnley insisting he should. But they didn't know how much he had already screwed up today... and the last thing Josh needed was yet _another_ reminder of how much of a disappointment his "Keeper" was.

Tyler let his cheek rest against the window, eyes spacing out a little as a single tear fell down his face.

_Maybe I am weak._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> I figured since this is the beginning of "My Pretty Keeper" in January 2020, I'd give you guys some life updates from October 2019 when "Keeper and Protector" finished.
> 
> 1: As I mentioned in my previous book, my mental health hasn't been the greatest and it hasn't improved a whole lot, but I'm still trying to hang on. I know a lot of you guys deal with mental and physical health problems as well, so keep hanging on and do your best. Even if no one else thinks it's your "best," you're still alive right now, so that's doing the best in my eyes.
> 
> 2: Back in September, I decided to embark on a weight loss journey. I've lost around 25 lbs so far but I've kinda stalled over the past month or two (not gaining but not losing either) because of stress. I have a few "event goals" this year so I'll be working hard to see how much weight I can lose by the time those events come around. Would you guys like to see a progress picture later on in the book?
> 
> Do you have any goals for this year?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"I'll kiss your eyes, I'll wash your skin."**

When Josh turned the door knob, he already knew things were a lot different than when he left the house earlier that morning.

But knowledge was power. And that power would be used to support his precious Keeper as best as he could.

Josh found Tyler on the couch, curled up in a ball with a blanket pulled up to his chin and his galaxy pacifier in-between his lips as he (barely) watched cartoons on TV. The older man's heart pulled when he saw the dried tear stains on his baby boy's cheeks.

_Oh, how he wished he could've had Tyler in his arms all day instead of said boy having a panic attack in a Dayton fast food restaurant..._

"Hi, sweet boy." Josh leaned over the couch and kissed him on the forehead. "Fynn told me what happened."

 _Figures._ Tyler rolled his eyes a little and pulled the blanket over his head.

Josh reached down to pat the outline of Tyler's shoulder before sighing a little. Cheering him up was _definitely_ going to be a lot harder than he anticipated. "I'm going to change my clothes, baby. I'll be back."

Tyler felt Josh place something next to him before his footsteps disappeared out of the living room and up the stairs. Holding the edge of the blanket up so he could peek out, he gasped a little at what he saw.

A bouquet of yellow roses wrapped in cellophane with a small note attached to the bottom of it:

 **Beautiful flowers for a beautiful boy. ♡**  
 **I love you, Tyler** **.**

Closing his eyes, Tyler felt a warm sensation spread over his Time Keeper as he wondered what he had done to deserve someone as amazing as Josh in his life.

Brushing his fingers across the petals, Tyler smiled around his pacifier, breathing in the fragrant aroma and letting it wash over every inch of his body.

It was hope.

It was Josh.

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *****

Tyler hadn't realized he had dozed off (and the pacifier had fallen out of his mouth) until he felt the couch move underneath him. He opened his eyes again to see Josh sitting there, a sweet smile on his face.

"J-Josh..." Tyler's eyes went over to the bouquet sitting on the coffee table. "Thank you so much for the flowers. They're gorgeous."

"I know." Josh offered his hand out, to which Tyler pulled his arm out from underneath the blanket and allowed the older man to help him upright. "They're just like you."

He blushed and wrapped his arms around Josh in a tight, but loving embrace. After a few moments went by, he loosened his grip on Josh so he could speak up about what was on his mind. "I'm really sorry, J."

Josh gave him a confused look. "For what?"

"E-Everything. For this morning. For not telling you what happened this afternoon. Here I am acting like a selfish brat, only thinking about myself, and you went out after work to buy me flowers. I really don't deserve you and all the amazing things that you do for me, Josh."

"Oh, sweetness... you deserve the world." Josh placed both hands on Tyler's neck so they could hold eye contact with each other while he spoke. "Listen to me, baby. Fynnley told me why you didn't want to tell me what happened. And that _doesn't_ make you a selfish brat. You're anything but that. But I want you to know that you shouldn't let fear keep you from talking about what's on your mind. To be honest, I'm _always_ worrying about you, Tyler, because you're my Keeper. But I still want you to tell me how you're doing and how I can try and help. You're important to me, okay? And I love you."

"I-I love you too, Josh." Tyler closed his eyes, a single tear falling down his face, which Josh quickly, yet gently swiped away. "You've had so much on your plate lately and I didn't want to... add my problems to it. I already feel like I'm being such a useless Keeper to you, honestly."

"Tyler, even if I had the entire world resting on my shoulders, I'd still have more than enough space left for you." Tyler smiled at his words, much to his Protector's delight. "But, baby, why do you feel useless?"

"Well, this morning, we were kissing in the shower, but then I started overthinking everything and said all that dumb stuff about shower sex..." Tyler sighed and looked away. "I made you feel like you did something wrong when that wasn't the case at all." Another tear fell down his face as he sniffled a little. "I'm really sorry, Joshua."

"Oh, Ty." Josh took his hands away from Tyler's neck so he could reach down and intertwine their fingers instead. "There's absolutely nothing to be sorry about. I'll admit, I was a little confused at first, but I promise you didn't upset me. Can I ask you something, though?"

"Anything."

"Have I done anything to make you feel... afraid? You and I both know how notoriously... horny I can be. I've been trying my best to keep it in my pants and not do anything unless you say it's okay... but if there's something I've done wrong, please tell me so I can be better for you."

"No," Tyler said quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong, I promise... I just... I..."

A major part of Tyler just wanted to close his eyes, shake his head and refuse to talk about it. But he also knew that avoiding the subject would just lead to more serious misunderstandings in the future. And if there was one thing Tyler didn't want, it was losing his Protector's approval and love over something so easily avoidable...

Tyler was _so_ tired of crying. But as he clung onto Josh and released the pent-up frustrations from an emotionally exhausting day, he knew there'd never be anyone else he'd entrust with his tears and the most fragile pieces of his heart.

Josh was the glue that held everything together, even if it was only for another day. Broken, but _never_ incomplete.

"Hey..." Josh finally spoke up again when Tyler's cries slowly turned into soft sniffles. "Feeling any better, lovebug?"

The younger boy took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I... I think so," he rasped. "Can I have a tissue please?"

"Of course, babe."

Josh let go of Tyler so he could open the end table drawer and take out the box of Kleenex. No sooner did he turn back around, he noticed that the brunette had his fingers twisted together, a definite sign he had something on his mind he wanted to say.

"Whenever you're ready," Josh reassured him. "No pressure."

Tyler pulled out a tissue before blowing his nose. When he looked back up at Josh, the kindness in his eyes told him that it was _finally_ time for him to open up a little bit.

"Have... have you ever felt intimidated or frightened over something that you know is actually a good thing?"

"Yes. A lot, actually."

"Well, that's how I feel about... intimacy." Tyler sighed and looked away. "It's been over a month since we had our first time. We haven't done anything sexual since then and that _kills_ me inside, Josh, because giving my virginity to you was the most beautiful and special thing that's ever happened to me." He looked back up when he felt Josh take his hands. "I want you, Joshua. And I want to touch your body and make you feel good. But... I don't feel like I'm good enough for you. I go out and see all these guys with perfect-looking bodies, then I go home, look in the mirror and see all the bruises and scars and bones sticking out of my skin. I can't compare, I'm just... nothing. And I'm afraid that the more I let you in, sexually, the more you'll realize that about me." He sniffled. "I love you so much, Joshua, and all I want is to make you happy. I don't want to disappoint you."

"Oh, baby..." Josh brought Tyler back into another tight hug. "You could never disappoint me. I promise." He pulled away a little so he could gaze into the younger boy's eyes. "I'm really proud of you for opening up, sweetheart. But I have something I want to tell you too... are you with me?"

Tyler nodded slowly. "I'm with you."

"Can I take your hand?" He smiled when the younger boy nodded. Picking up his hand, he placed it up against the left side of his chest. "You feel that?"

"I do." Tyler smiled a little as he felt the hard _thump_ of Josh's heartbeat against his palm. "Your heart's beating really fast right now."

"Probably because it knows you're listening to it." Josh chuckled, to which Tyler smiled again. "But it also knows that it's all for you..." he trailed off briefly as he placed his hand on top of the other boy's and smiled. "Remember when I told you that before? 'No matter how fast or how slow we go with each other... I'm with you.' And that hasn't changed at all, Tyler. I'll always want you, and honestly, I don't care about other guys and what they look like. You could line up ten naked supermodels in front of me and I'd _still_ only have eyes for you. I know you have a lot of insecurities about yourself, but I love every single inch of you -- scars, bruises and all. And believe me, you are _incredibly_ sexy, baby doll; being around you turns me on mentally and physically."

Josh leaned in and kissed Tyler on the lips before continuing. "Adjusting to an intimate life with someone isn't an overnight process. You're my Keeper and I'm your first, so I know I have to be patient with you when it comes to making love. Have I been thinking about it a lot ever since our first time? Of course. It was amazing, and as they say, practice makes perfect." He winked, making the younger boy smile and blush. "But I also know it takes time to build intimacy. That's one of the reasons why I suggested we take a shower together this morning; because it's not just about sex, it's about increasing the close bond and vulnerability between us..." He chuckled a little. "Well, that, and I wanted to see your cute little butt."

Tyler threw his arms around Josh, giggling away as he buried his face in the side of his neck. "I swear, you're going to be the absolute death of me, Joshua William Dun..."

"I try my best." Josh smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I hope all my rambling made a little bit of sense."

"Perfect sense. I feel so... blessed having you in my life. I love you so much, Josh, and everything you said reassured a lot of fears. You truly make me feel beautiful."

"You _are_ beautiful." Josh leaned in and gave him a long kiss on the lips, the first real once since this morning. "And I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you if it helps you realize just how much of a wonderful person you are."

He gave his Protector a soft smile. "T-Thank you, Jish. Be patient with me?"

"Of course." Josh smiled back. "Like I said, it takes a while to adjust. But I promise I'll be good to you and treat you and your body with nothing but respect."

"You're always good to me," Tyler murmured, a blissfully ecstatic look on his face. "So, so good to me."

"I love you, sweet boy." Josh ran his fingers through the top of Tyler's hair before kissing him again. "Say, I have an idea. How about I run you a nice, hot bath with the bubbly stuff in it? I'll even put some of those candles around the tub for mood lighting. Then, while you're in the bath, I'll fix us some dinner and we can eat in our room. It'll be like breakfast in bed, except at night." He grinned. "How's that sound?"

"Oh, my gosh, you're spoiling me, Josh," Tyler said softly. "That sounds amazing."

"Anything to help my baby boy feel better." Josh smiled and picked up Tyler's arm before leaning down and pressing a light kiss to his Time Keeper symbol. "Happy Tyler Night."

Giggling, Tyler closed his eyes as he enjoyed the pleasant ache building inside of his Time Keeper, a welcome relief from the negative physical effects he'd been feeling ever since his panic attack earlier that afternoon. "Happy Tysh Night," he corrected him.

"I beg to differ," Josh teased before standing up from the couch. "Hang tight for me, baby boy."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

Two hours later and Tyler was now relaxed, full, and so very much in love with his gorgeous Protector.

"You're such a good cook," Tyler said, taking Josh's empty plate and stacking it on top of his own. "Thank you so much for making dinner, J."

Josh smiled at the compliment. "You're sweet, Ty, thank you. I'm glad you liked it." He placed a hand on Tyler's knee, squeezing it a little. "I noticed that you ate most of your food too. I'm really, really proud of you."

Tyler blushed. Nothing ever went unnoticed when it came to Josh. "T-Thank you, Jish..."

Leaning over, Josh pressed a single kiss to his neck. "Mm, you smell amazing too. When are you gonna patent that 'Bath Time Tyler' bubbly stuff of yours, hm?"

"When I can figure out how to put myself into a bottle." Tyler giggled before reaching to pick up his glass from the bedside table and take a sip. "And I have to admit... you can make a great mixed drink too."

"Fynn's taught me well." Josh grinned before clearing his throat a little. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you want to lay down together?"

Tyler nodded, biting his lip a little as he wondered what Josh had to say to him. "Of course."

Josh reached for the remote to turn down the volume on the TV while Tyler crawled underneath the covers, shivering a little as the cool sheets brushed against his bare skin. After a few moments of shifting around, Tyler had his upper half draped across Josh's chest, chin propped up on folded hands as he gazed up into his lover's brown eyes.

"You're so cute," Josh mused as he laid a hand to rest on the back of Tyler's neck, fingers playing with the soft baby hairs.

He giggled. "T-Thank you, Joshua."

The older man smiled before shifting his focus back to what was on his mind. "While you were in the bath and I was cooking dinner, I decided to call my mom so I could try and get some answers about what's been going on."

Tyler was surprised, to say the least. If there was only one thing he knew about Josh, it was that he didn't have a good relationship with his mom... at _all_. "Oh, gosh, I'm so proud of you for calling her, J!" He gave his Protector a big smile. "What did she say?"

Josh returned the smile with equal fervor. "Thank you, sweetheart." He started rubbing his hand up and down Tyler's forearm before continuing. "My dad has been nothing short of a mess. Keeping secrets. Telling lies. Honestly, I think she's at her wit's end with him. But I know she wouldn't dare leave him, especially if he does become the CEO, because she's not gonna give up the money and the lifestyle."

"Wow, that's awful." Tyler shook his head. He loved Josh with all his heart but, oh, his parents were just as bad as his own parents, if not worse. "Did she say anything about him and, um... Gabriel?"

His hand stopped and he let out a large sigh, eyes casting downwards. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Tyler..."

A pit forming in his stomach, Tyler tried his best to keep his breath steady. Just the mere mention, without a single clue as to what any of it was about, made his stomach turn; still, the last thing he wanted to do was have another panic attack, especially in front of Josh. "I-I'm listening," he mumbled.

Front teeth grazing over his bottom lip, Josh had a moment of uncertainty over whether he should reveal everything his mother had told him. But even the fear of upsetting his precious baby boy again was outweighed by the fact that negative secrets should _never_ be kept between Keepers and Protectors. So with that, he let his fingertips drift up and down the younger boy's back as he began to speak.

"A week or two ago, Gabriel pled guilty to the assault charges against him, but the judge decided to adjourn the sentencing hearing until further notice. And because of his "good behavior" in jail so far, the judge also decided to grant him $50,000 bail until the sentencing... whenever that is."

"How could they do that? He can't afford to pay that bail... can he?"

"No, _he_ can't. But my dad can." Tyler could tell from the way Josh's jaw had tensed up that he was trying to repress his own anger over the situation. "My mother said my dad bailed Gabriel out of jail, though she has no clue where he's been staying at since that point. I'm so sorry, Ty."

Tyler was... shocked, to say the least. From this point forward, any case of mistaken identity actually _did_ have just as much chance of actually being the _real_ , horrid person that Gabriel was. "How... how could this have happened? "

"Manipulation. Both Gabriel and my dad are master manipulators." Josh shook his head and sighed again. "But you know what, Ty? We're gonna fight this."

"We are?"

"Absolutely. Tomorrow, I'm going to call the court and find out some more information about what we need to do so you can file an order of protection against him."

The younger boy looked down. "But... what if it's a really long process? What if he finds me and tries to hurt me?"

"I'll see what all of our options are," Josh reassured him. "Until that time, though, I'm gonna do my best to keep you safe. And if I'm not around, Fynn or Oliver will look after you, okay?"

He looked back up at the older man again, doe eyes bigger than ever before. "Okay, Jish."

"Believe me... if that dickhead comes anywhere near you again, well... _I'm_ gonna need that bail money."

"Language, J." Still, Tyler couldn't help but smile a little at his "Protective Jish," the one special person he knew he could trust with his own life. "It makes me feel a lot better knowing we're gonna try and do something to keep him away from me." He moved his hand to rest on the right side of Josh's face. "I can't thank you enough for that, Joshua."

"Anything for you, darling. I just want you to be safe." Josh leaned over so he could kiss Tyler on the forehead. "I love you."

Tyler smiled at his Protector's sweet words. "I love you too."

"Can... can I kiss you?"

"You already know it." Tyler giggled a little before closing his eyes as Josh sat up and connected their lips. Not before long, Tyler had rolled back onto the bed as his precious Protector laid down on top of him.

For the first time in a while, Tyler felt considerably less self-conscious as he felt his Protector's lips move to his jawline, and finally, down to his neck. While the bruising was all but gone, some sensitivity still remained, which made certain things a bit uncomfortable (like tight shirt collars or when Cheetah tried to use his "sandpaper" tongue to lick his neck for absolutely no reason at all).

Josh, on the other hand... his lips held a certain softness to them, one that had only intensified after the bruises first appeared there. They were soft, they were gentle, they were... healing.

_"Heal the bruises for me. Please."_

Tyler's mind slipped in and out as Josh nipped at his jawline and whispered sweet nothings into his ear, the sensation sending shivers up and down his spine. By the time Josh moved back up to his lips, he was nothing short of a blushing, hopeless mess, absolutely thrilled with the little bit that had happened between them.

No pressure. No obligations. Just pure affection.

"Pretty baby." Josh kissed the tip of his nose and smiled, loving the way Tyler's eyes scrunched up a little as he turned his head away and giggled. "Happy Tyler Night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> What would you like to see more of in "My Pretty Keeper?" (Themes, tropes, flaws, characters, subplots, etc.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"I've got thick skin and an elastic heart."**

"I see Fynnley bought up the whole candy aisle as usual."

Josh couldn't help but laugh as he looked at Fynnley, who had a huge, cheesy grin on his face as he held up a shopping bag full of candy.

Oliver, on the other hand, looked less than amused, shaking his head at his Protector's usual antics. "You know, you really shouldn't be surprised anymore at this point," he said. "Fynn can't decide on just one type of candy and neither can I, so here we are."

"Fair enough." Josh smiled. "Well, all the other snacks are on the table already." He turned to look at Fynn. "If you want to make a drink, there's stuff in the cabinet, but please don't use all my good liquor."

Tossing the bag of candy over to Josh, Fynnley laughed. "No promises, dude. Oh, by the way, where's the Ty-Guy at?"

"Laying on the couch with Cheetah. He hasn't been feeling well all day."

Fynn thought about saying something smart about his arch-nemesis, Cheetah, but decided against it. "Aw, is he feeling sad?"

"Not sad, but he's had a headache on-and-off all day long." Josh frowned a little. "He's not been saying a whole lot, just laying down or napping. I had asked him if he wanted to reschedule our movie night but he said no. So maybe being around you guys will help cheer him up a little bit."

"I'll go try and talk to him," Oliver said. He turned to look at Fynn. "Can you fix me a drink too, babe? None of your 'mixed death concoctions,' though. I'd like to keep my wits about me tonight."

Fynnley chuckled. "Of course, love."

And with that, Oliver left the foyer to go to the living room while Fynnley trailed behind Josh into the kitchen.

Oliver found Tyler curled up on the couch with Cheetah perched on his hip. He didn't have his pacifier in, which was surprising to Oliver because the younger boy almost always had his pacifier in whenever he was feeling really soft, sad or sick.

_He must really not feel good..._

"Hey, Ty-Ty." Oliver came around the couch before leaning down and kissing Tyler on the forehead. "Josh said you haven't been feeling good today."

Tyler shook his head, humming out a small 'mm-mm.' He held his arms out, silently beckoning his precious Oli to come hug him.

Oliver smiled before crouching down to his knees and taking Tyler into his arms. "You're so warm. Have you been running a fever?"

"Nothing above 99°F," Tyler replied. "But I still feel hot. M'just tired and hurting."

The older man hugged him a little tighter. "I'm sorry, Ty. What can I do for you?"

"Hold me? Josh has been holding me in-between conference calls all day, so I know he must be pretty sick of me by now."

"I'm sure he's not sick of you, Tyler." Oliver pecked him on the cheek. "But I'd be more than happy to hold you for as long as you'd like."

Tyler gave him a tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it smile. "Love you, Oli."

"And I love you, Ty-Ty."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

Two movies in and all was quiet in the living room except for the occasional quip from Fynnley as Cheetah stared him down from his perch on top of the couch.

Everything felt much different from the foursome's usual movie night; there certainly weren't as many laughs, bad jokes and overall chatter about the movie on the screen. No one would say it out loud, yet it was still no secret that everyone was a little worried about Tyler feeling so ill.

"Joshua?" Tyler struggled to hold his head up from its place in Oliver's lap as he reached out for Josh, who was sitting in front of them on the floor. "My headache's getting worse."

"Oh, no." Josh turned around to look at Tyler, a frown dominating his features. "Let me go get you some medicine, baby."

"Hey, I'll go get it," Fynnley said, jumping up from the other couch before Josh could get up. "I know where it is, just stay here with Ty."

While Fynnley went upstairs to the medicine cabinet, Oliver paused the movie so he and Josh could tend to Tyler, who seemed to be doing worse by the moment.

"Hold on, baby, Fynn's gonna get you something for your head," Josh said, his tone becoming more panicked as he watched his Keeper clutch at his temples.

Teeth gritted together, Tyler groaned as the pain and throbbing in his head intensified, involuntary tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Baby? Baby, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, Tyler's body stiffened up against Oliver's, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he started convulsing. Everything around them morphed into an unrecognizable haze as all hell broke loose.

"Josh, he's having a seizure!"

"Call 911!"

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

Tyler's vision doubled and blurred as he came to, his mind caught up between the past and the present.

_Where am I?_

"Baby, you're awake!"

Tyler had barely turned his head when he was enveloped in a big hug from Josh. He made a little noise of surprise before reaching up to wrap his arms around his Protector, a bit confused by how weak his entire body felt.

"Shh, shh, you're doing okay, hun," Josh said softly.

As he rested his chin on top of Josh's shoulder, he noticed that someone else's stuff was sitting on a window sill. "J-Josh," he rasped out. "Why are we in the hospital? And where's Fynn and Oli?"

"They stepped out for a minute to make a phone call. Tyler... what's the last thing that you remember happening?"

"Um... I remember having the worst headache of my life. And then I woke up in here. What happened between then?"

Josh pulled away and that's when Tyler noticed how red and puffy his eyes were. "Baby... you had a seizure. The paramedics were able to stabilize you but you were still unconscious for a while..." He looked down, sniffling a little. "I was so scared, Tyler. I thought I was gonna lose you."

Tyler's heart pulled as he watched a few tears fall down Josh's face. He knew his Protector could be very emotional at times (unlike himself, who _always_ seemed to be crying) but no matter how much he saw his J cry, it still broke him every single time.

"Oh, my gosh..." He took Josh's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm so sorry, Josh. I didn't mean to scare you."

Josh shook his head. "No, no, it's not your fault. I'm just so glad you're okay."

"I am too. Why did I have a seizure?"

"The doc--"

He was cut off by a knock on the door and was surprised when the doctor walked in the room. _Perfect timing._

"Mr. Joseph, you're awake. Excellent." Tyler noticed that she had a sizeable folder in her hands, it presumably being his medical record. "My name is Dr. Jones. How are you feeling right now?"

"Tired. In a little bit of pain."

"Yes, that's normal after having a seizure. Your muscles will hurt for a while." The doctor pulled up a chair before sitting down at Tyler's bedside. "You went back for an MRI as soon as you got here so we could see what was going on inside your brain. Your boyfriend, Josh, told me that you were assaulted and strangulated by someone a couple months ago. Looking back at your last MRI, there weren't any indications of brain damage at the time; the trouble now, though, is this new MRI shows signs of damage, mainly surrounding a few select neurons. The good news is that the brain damage from the lack of oxygen is _very_ minimal, which is most likely why it took a while to manifest. What that means is there aren't any changes to your psyche or your overall wellbeing, but there _are_ still the neurological effects, which, of course, causes the seizures..."

Tyler looked absolutely terrified. "So... does that mean I have a seizure disorder now?"

"Not necessarily. We are going to put you on some anti-convulsants and see how you do from there. Most seizures happen when certain neurons in the brain misfire. So if we can help those neurons to heal, the seizures will lessen. Does that make sense?"

Hands shaking a little from anxiety, Tyler finally nodded. "I can't believe this."

Josh gave Tyler's hand a firm, comforting squeeze. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"I know this is a lot to take in right now," the doctor said. "But with the medicine, you should still be able to lead a relatively normal life. The neurologist and I don't feel like the little amount of damage done will cause you to have a lot of seizures. And the ones you _do_ have will have more potential to be tonic seizures versus tonic-clonic. But we will give you a referral for an outpatient neurologist to follow-up with on a regular basis and also adjust any medications as needed."

"When can Tyler leave?" Josh asked.

"We'd like to keep him overnight for observation. But in the morning, he'll be allowed to go home; also, before you leave, I'll have the nurse give you a handout on how to manage your seizures." The doctor stood up from the chair, patting Tyler on the shoulder. "Try to get some rest. Also, the nurses will keep a close eye on your blood pressure to make sure it doesn't go back up again at any point."

Tyler turned his head to look at the machine monitoring his vital signs and frowned a little when he saw how high the number was. "Wow... is that really mine?"

"Yes, but it's a lot better than what it was earlier." The doctor gave him a wry smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tyler."

When the door closed, Josh let out a small sigh before reaching for Tyler's other hand, wanting to calm unsteady bones. "Hey... it'll be okay, baby. I promise."

Tyler really wasn't sure... _how_ to feel, honestly. He was grateful that the brain damage wasn't bad enough to the point that his entire persona and state of mind were changed for the worse... but he was also incredibly sad that what _caused_ all of this had even happened in the first place.

_Why did Gabriel have to do this?_

"Gabriel's out of jail and I'm having seizures because of him. I don't feel okay at all." Tyler closed his eyes, willing back the emotions building up behind his chest.

"I know, baby. But it's okay to feel not okay. You're a beautiful, intelligent and _incredibly_ brave young man. I'm so proud of you, lovebug, for staying strong through all the crap that's been going on lately. You're gonna get through this. I promise."

Tyler let go of Josh's hands and enveloped him in a big hug, tugging on his IV line a little in the process. "You're my everything. I don't know what I'd do without you by my side." He gently kissed his Protector on the lips. "I love you, Joshua."

"And I love you, pretty baby." Josh smiled, combing his fingers up and down Tyler's back, making the younger squirm around a little and giggle. "Don't ever change, okay?"

"I can't make any promises... but if I do, it still won't change how much I truly love you." Tyler smiled as he ran his fingers through Josh's messy, yellow hair.

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

"Gosh, I don't know why I'm so hungry..."

It was now around 11PM and Fynnley had oh-so-graciously granted Tyler's request for some late night Taco Bell (mainly due to the fact dinner service was _long_ over and done with at the hospital... but also because he just really wanted some stress tacos).

"Eat and get your rest, Ty-Ty." Oliver reached over and patted Tyler's blanketed knee. "You need it."

Tyler gave his friend a tiny smile. "Thank you both for staying up here with me and Josh. It really means a lot."

"Of course, Tyler," Fynnley said, smiling. "You're our friend and we care about you and what's going on with your health."

He gave the blonde a sad smile in return. "Thank you, Fynn. There's a lot of... changes that come with my diagnosis that are gonna be really hard to deal with."

"Changes? What do you mean?"

"Well, for one thing, I can't drive anymore until further notice..." Tyler sighed. "Driving was one thing I actually took pride in myself for. I was so sheltered growing up that I wasn't allowed to go anywhere, and then Gabriel always controlled what I did and who I saw. But my driver's license... that's something I accomplished on my own. It helped me feel like an independent Keeper, but now... I'm just nothing."

Josh leaned in from his spot next to him on the bed and hugged him. "Oh, baby... you're still independent. So many other things about you makes you a beautiful and independent Keeper... not just your license."

Tyler looked up at him with wide eyes. "You... you think so?"

"Know so."

"Hey, I know it's really disappointing," Fynnley put in. "But it won't be forever. You may be seizure-free at some point and then you'll be able to start driving again."

"And we're here to help," Oliver added. "If you want to go somewhere, Josh is here. Fynnley's here. I'm here." He gave Tyler a gentle smile. "We have your back, Ty."

"Yeah, we'll get you out." Fynnley gave Tyler an equally sweet smile. "Promise."

Tyler closed his eyes as he finally let go of Josh, tears welling up inside of his eyelids. "I love you guys so much..."

"How about a group hug for Ty-Guy?" Fynnley grinned.

Everyone gathered around Tyler and came in for a big hug, the younger boy smiling away as tears streamed down his face.

"I don't ever want to lose you guys."

"You won't." Oliver leaned in and gave the brunette a soft kiss on the cheek. "You're our little Bandito and we love you. Keep fighting for us, okay?"

Tyler smiled and nodded, his Time Keeper ticking away inside of his arm as he took in the immeasurable beauty he had in his life in the forms of Fynnley, Oliver and Joshua.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> This chapter would have came out a lot sooner but I was in the psychiatric hospital again from Jan 23rd - 30th.
> 
> I'm on several new medications now and I can't even begin to describe how physically and mentally exhausted I am.
> 
> I wrote this chapter (and the first half of chapter four) in the notebook they gave me but I wasn't able to edit it extensively or post it until now. Thinking about you guys and how much you want to see what happens next kept me in a creative mood.
> 
> Have you ever stayed in a psychiatric hospital?
> 
> Bonus question: Do you think Tyler and Oliver should share a sweet, non-sexual kiss at some point? (With some form of permission and/or discussion from their Protectors beforehand, of course)
> 
> The last few chapters have had a fair amount of drama but all the fluff in the next chapter will balance it out nicely. ♡


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"'I'm okay, I'm doing fine,' the greatest lie ever told."**

The next afternoon found Tyler hanging out with Oliver at the apartment while their Protectors went out and ran errands, though, unfortunately, they wouldn't say what those "errands" were.

Curled up on the couch with his head resting on Oliver's hipbone, Tyler smiled as he glanced over at the pictures over on the end table.

The old photo, the one Tyler had asked Fynnley about on the fateful day that catalyzed the story of a Keeper taken from his Protector far too soon… it was still there, but moved to the background. Now, for all the world to see, there was a new, framed selfie with Fynn planting the softest kiss on Oliver's cheek and said Keeper giggling away, eyes scrunched together in joy.

Fynnley and Oliver… just like they should be.

"I like that one too."

Tyler was surprised by Oliver's voice, a bit embarrassed he had been "caught" by his friend. Regardless, though, he knew Oliver never minded when it came to talking about him and his Protector.

"Hey… can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Ty. What's on your mind?"

"When did you first know that you were in love with Fynn?"

"I think it happened about… five months in. You see, when Fynn and I matched with each other, I was a little scared because he had such a big personality and I'm just kind of a chill guy who keeps to himself. Honestly, at first, I thought the Time Keeper Database made a huge mistake putting us together." He laughed. "But it was around the five-month mark when I got the flu and was bed-ridden for a week. I had thought things would go horribly wrong because Fynnley and I had agreed that I'd be the one to take care of the cooking and cleaning since he already does that for a living." A big smile appeared on Oliver's face. "You know, Fynn's always been sweet to me, but that week… he cooked, he cleaned, he kept up with the laundry, he gave me all my meds and even sat with me while I slept or watched a movie with me. He did _everything_ without being asked to or complaining. And from that point on, he's always been so gracious about helping me out. So it wasn't anything super romantic, but it was enough to confirm in my mind that my lovable goofball, Fynnley Harrington, was the absolute one for me."

"Dang it, Oli, you're gonna make me cry." Tyler had the biggest smile on his face, his Time Keeper going crazy inside of his arm. "That means a lot to me to hear because I didn't trust Joshua at first for, well, obvious reasons… and it took me a while to fall in love with him. So knowing that the kind of love you two share now wasn't an instantaneous thing makes me feel a lot better. It kinda hurts sometimes to look at other Keepers on the TKD and see how happy they are with their first and only Protectors. Gabriel… he was supposed to be that for me. But you know what? Josh is my _true_ first and only... and I love him."

Oliver gave him a sympathetic smile and nodded. "That's so sweet, Ty. I can understand how you feel, though. I've known Josh for almost six years now and I truly mean it when I say there isn't a better guy out there for you than him."

Tyler smiled back at him. "Being with him has brought a lot of special things into my life. And I think one of the best parts was finding you, Oli." He leaned up so he could kiss the older boy on the cheek. "You're amazing."

"No, you." Oliver stuck his tongue out at Tyler and grinned. "Love you lots, Ty-Ty."

"Love you too, Oliver." Tyler took advantage of the lapse in conversation to sit up fully and stretch. "I wonder what Josh and Fynn expect two Keepers to do with themselves for the entire afternoon…"

"Get into lots of trouble, of course." Oliver grinned again. "What'd you have in mind?"

"We could watch Netflix?"

"Netflix and chill." Oliver laughed at the bewildered look on Tyler's face. "I'm just messing with you. Hey, Fynnley recommended me this cooking show on Netflix not too long ago and it's actually pretty good. Do you want to watch that?"

Tyler gave him a sweet smile. "Sure."

Oliver couldn't help but smile back at him. Underneath all of the cutesy, lovey-dovey things was _pure_ admiration for Tyler and all he had been through. He had started off as an anxious, scared soul thrown into an unfamiliar situation with even more unfamiliar people… and from there, he had grown into a leader. A strong, young man with an entire mission resting on his shoulders all while fending off Nico's violent advances and the _**X**_ that came with it… but never once did he stop caring about the other six Keepers and trying his best to keep them all alive for another day.

And when everything was said and done, Tyler had eased back into his role as a Keeper. In a sense, he relied on Josh for a lot, yet he still held the same independent spirit that no one -- ex-Protectors, abuse, Dema, Nico and the Niners, **_X_** or seizures -- could ever take away from him.

Bravery in the face of unsurmountable odds… was a beautiful thing.

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *****

It was around an hour later when Oliver noticed Tyler's body language was starting to change. At first glance, he feared that the younger boy was about to have another seizure, but when he looked a bit closer, he quickly realized that the cause was much, _much_ more innocent in context...

Tyler held his head up so he could make eye contact with Oliver. "Oli?" He tried his best to keep his voice steady, but the tiniest whine still made its way out of his mouth.

Oliver bit down on his lip to keep from chuckling, not wanting to offend his sweet friend. "Yes, Ty?"

"I'm getting really soft..."

"Did you bring your pacifier with you?"

"Mhm." The tip of Tyler's thumb was already in his mouth, eyes growing wider and wider by the minute. "It's in my backpack."

Just as Tyler was about to get up and grab his backpack from over by the front door, Oliver had a hand on his shoulder as he stood up to get it instead.

"T-Thank you, Oli," he said softly.

"Of course, Ty-Ty."

No matter how many times he was around Tyler when he was like this, Oliver still had the huge fear that he wouldn't be... good enough for the job, so to speak. Josh _was_ his Protector, after all, and in being so, was already more in tune with his Keeper's moods and what to do when he was feeling really soft like this.

In his mind, Oliver was just Tyler's slightly awkward Keeper friend…

Despite all of the insecurities, though, he still realized that Tyler trusted him enough to let his guard down and allow his friend to be a witness to a small, intimate piece of himself. And if there was one thing Oliver didn't want to screw up, it was supporting one of the people that he looked up to in this crazy, upside-down world he found himself living in.

So as his young friend looked up at him with excited, appreciative eyes at the sight of his galaxy pacifier... Oliver knew that it was all worth it in the end.

Tyler had the pacifier pressed up to his lips when he stopped. "Oliver?" When the other Keeper turned his attention back to him, he looked down, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "I-I… I was wondering if you wanted to… um… get yours too? I gave you that blue one a couple months ago and you said you wanted to wait before you used it." He twisted his fingers together, blush darkening as he continued speaking. "S'okay if you still don't want to. It had just came to m-my mind…"

Oliver felt his heart pull at the embarrassed, yet desperately soft look on Tyler's face. To be honest, he'd forgotten he even _had_ the pacifier… but now that he'd been reminded of it, he realized his initial curiosity about being "soft" had never fully gone away.

That, combined with Tyler's question, which he already knew took a lot for the young boy to come out and ask him about, made him nod. "Sure, Ty, I'll give it a shot. You'll have to give me a few minutes to go in my room and find it, though."

"S'fine. I'll wait for you."

While Oliver was in his room, Tyler took the opportunity to tangle himself up in the blanket. Honestly, it felt like some days, he spent more time wrapped up in various blankets than actually up and moving around. Not the healthiest habit to have, but as he once explained to Josh, he found it soothing when he was confined...

And the last 24 hours had definitely left such an impression on his soul that it needed to be soothed out of his mind until the bad feelings were nothing but memories.

Closing his eyes, it didn't take long for his thumb to make its way back up to the curve of his lips. Whining a little, he curled his body up against the corner of the couch.

_Miss my Jishwa…_

Realizing that he could just as well tell his Protector that instead of keeping it to himself, Tyler reached inside of his pocket and pulled out his phone.

**Tyler: jish… ♡ miss you, m'so soft without you rn…**

_Josh: Aw hey baby, I miss you too. Wish I could be there to hold you._

**Tyler: me too :( trying to be good for you..**

_Josh: You're always good for me, darling. ♡_

_Besides being soft, are you having fun with Oli?_

**Tyler: mhm we've been talking about all kinds of stuff…**

_Josh: Oh yeah? Hmm… I think someone's been naughty. ;)_

**Tyler: maybe a little :p love you joshua ♡**

_Josh: And I love you, Tyler. ♡ You have your galaxy paci with you, right?_

**Tyler: mhm way ahead of you j**

_Josh: Haha good well hang in there, baby boy. If you need anything, just ask Oliver, I'm sure he'll be able to help._

**Tyler: mmkay ♡**

_Josh: Get some rest, okay? We'll be back later on._

**Tyler: I will, love you ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡**

_Josh: Love you more! ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡_

Oliver came back out into the living room just as Tyler stuck his phone back into his pocket. "Found it!"

Tyler smiled at the sight of the baby blue pacifier in-between Oliver's fingers. "Mm, it matches your eyes," he said before giggling a little.

Oliver held it up next to his eye and smiled, making Tyler's heart pull so hard he feared it might tear a little. "Alright, Ty, you're the expert," he said before sitting back down on the couch. "I'll follow your lead."

"Um…" Blushing again, Tyler brushed his own pacifier over the curve of his red lips before slipping it inside of his mouth. He giggled as he took Oliver's pacifier out of his hand and did the same to him, curious blue eyes meeting soft brown ones.

Before anything else could be said or done, Tyler was curled up next to Oliver, the blanket pulled up to his chin. He smiled a little around his pacifier as he felt an arm wrap around his side and a mess of curly hair rest on top of his head.

It didn't take long for Tyler to start slipping even further, evidenced by the way the brunette's body was relaxing against the blue-eyed boy's side.

While Oliver wasn't particularly tired, there certainly wasn't any reason Tyler couldn't take a nap. After all, he still needed as much rest as possible after what had happened...

Oliver lifted his head up and took the pacifier out of his mouth so he could press a kiss to Tyler's forehead. "Sleepy Tyler," he whispered, smiling a little at the soft giggle that came from the younger boy. "Wanna lay down?"

"Mhm." It took a little bit of manuevering around before Tyler finally found a comfortable position with his head resting on a pillow in Oliver's lap and his feet dangling off the arm of the sofa.

"Better?" When Tyler looked up at him and nodded, doe eyes as big as ever, Oliver just smiled. "Good. Try to rest, Ty-Ty, I'll be right here when you wake up."

Tyler didn't have to be told twice, letting his head lay fully on the pillow as he let out a heavy sigh, settling into the comfortable haze surrounding the both of them.

Placing a hand in soft brown hair, Oliver's eyes went back to the show still playing on TV, though his mind was still elsewhere.

All he could think about was Fynnley and Josh. Neither him or Tyler had any clue about their Protectors' afternoon whereabouts, but if he were to take a guess, he'd say it might have something to do with the order of protection and (hopefully) impending restraining order Tyler and Josh were going to file against Gabriel.

If so, that would explain why neither of them wanted to divulge any details on what they were actually doing today. Tyler had had more than enough upset in his life over this past week that he certainly didn't need to add the preliminary stages of any legal action to the list of his worries...

But if Josh needed help with doing research and contacting the right people... unfortunately, Fynnley knew all too well about how all of that worked.

Oliver was the straw that broke the camel's back when it came to Fynnley's already strained relationship with his family. It wasn't easy growing up as the 'odd one out' but that struggle only intensified when he became a young man and started making his own decisions.

And to say that his decision to become a Protector and have Oliver as his Keeper made tsunami-like waves within the family would be an absolute _understatement_...

Their first year together was filled with so many threats to the point that Fynnley feared for his Keeper's safety. And so from that point forward, the only option left was to take out restraining orders against several of his family members.

It was a hard, grueling process to get everything taken care of, one that took a massive toll on Fynnley's mental health, but in the end… it was worth it. The advantages far outweighed any minor inconveniences, especially with the years they got to spend together in peace up until Oliver first started getting sick...

His thoughts shifting, Oliver looked down at the couch beneath him.

_This was the same couch where him and Fynnley had cried together after they came home from that fateful doctor's appointment. The same couch he laid on with Fynnley kneeled in front of it as he clung onto cold, pale hands, sobbing prayers to God to not take 'his beautiful Oli' away from him. The same couch he had blacked out on and triggered what would prove to be his last trip to the hospital…_

He jumped a little as he snapped out of the dark, spiraling memories. For a second, he worried he may have startled Tyler, but, thankfully, the younger boy was still asleep, gently sucking away on his pacifier with not a care in the world.

Oliver grounded himself in the moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He let his eyes drift over to the pacifier still sitting beside him.

Unfortunately for him, using it felt much more awkward than comforting… at least in front of Tyler, anyway. Perhaps he would fare better using it while on his own, at least until he felt more comfortable being around someone else; after all, the first time was always the hardest, right?

For now, he picked it up and placed it over on the end table for safe-keeping. After all, Tyler was bound to ask him about it later when he woke up from his nap.

Threading his fingers through Tyler's hair, Oliver smiled when the younger boy stirred around a little, making the cutest little sound as he did.

Oliver's voice came out in a soft whisper. "Sweet little Bandito..."

He looked down at the couch again and sighed a little as a more... hopeful thought came up into his mind.

_I think it's time for a new couch..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> If you believe in the theory, are you left-brained or right-brained?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"I want to be perfect just like you, pull my strings, show me what to do."**

Later on that evening, Tyler and Josh found themselves back at home for a (hopefully) relaxing night in. Hanging out with Fynnley and Oliver was always a fun time, but with everything that had been going on lately, they all figured it would be a good idea to spend some quality time with their significant others and take things slow for the rest of the night.

What a certain curly-haired Protector didn't know, though… was that a certain wide-eyed Keeper had dinner in progress for what he hoped to be a romantic evening.

On print, it sounded easy enough. In practice, though… Tyler quickly realized that when it came to food, the only thing he truly excelled at was pouring the milk into his cereal bowl.

Which certainly didn't lend itself well to the complicated fish recipe he had found online, along with a recipe for some sort of "chocolate surprise" for dessert.

Staring at the directions on his phone, he sighed. _Maybe he shouldn't have fallen asleep earlier while him and Oliver were watching that cooking show_ …

Honestly, Tyler knew he could always text Oliver or Fynnley for help, since they cooked a lot more than he did. But the last thing he wanted to do was bother them during their night in together (and knowing them, they were probably up to some sort of "mischief" by now, anyway).

More importantly, though, this was something Tyler really wanted to accomplish on his own.

_One step at a time..._

Following through with his new "self-mantra," he went ahead with the next step on the list, opening the oven and sliding out the top rack so he could pour his very… questionable-looking sauce over top of the fish.

_Well, at least the fish smells good._

As he shut the oven door again and moved onto the first step of preparing the "chocolate surprise," he wondered what Josh was doing right now. When they got home, he said he was gonna take a shower and a brief nap before it got too late in the evening… and that's when Tyler decided that he was gonna do something sweet for his Protector after said man had been out all day taking care of important business.

It's the least he could do for the love of his life.

So Tyler resigned himself to whipping eggs, butter and chocolate together in a bowl, determined to make this as memorable of a dinner for them as possible.

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

When Tyler peeked into their bedroom and saw that Josh was still asleep, he smiled, pleased that everything had fallen into place. He nudged the door open wider with his hip, revealing a tray in his hands with two platefuls of food and two glasses of wine balancing precariously on top.

He placed the tray down on his bedside table before crawling into bed, wrapping his arms around his Protector, who made a small noise in return as he stirred around a bit.

"Joshua..." Tyler whispered, rubbing his hand up and down Josh's arm. "Time to wake up."

His Protector groaned, burying his face inside his pillow. "Mm… don't want to." But even with his face covered up, Tyler could still see the corners of his lips turned up into a small smile.

"Silly goose..." Tyler ran his fingers through still slightly wet strands. "Who needs to dry his hair before he catches a cold," he teased.

"I know, babe, m'sorry." Josh took his face out the pillow a little, eyes still closed, and sniffed. "I smell food."

"Do you?" Tyler grinned. "I wonder where it's coming from?"

Josh chuckled. "Well, call me crazy, but I think it may be coming from our room."

"Why don't you open your eyes up and see, J?"

The older man pulled himself up into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes in the process. Tyler took the opportunity to grab the tray and place it on his lap, anxious brown eyes awaiting his Protector's reaction.

When Josh finally laid eyes on Tyler's humble spread, his face lit up into a huge smile. "Aw, baby! You shouldn't have!"

"Probably so." Tyler gave Josh a sheepish smile. "But I wanted to."

"It smells amazing," Josh said. "What is it?"

"Grilled salmon with lemon butter cream sauce, corn and a potato hash. Oh, and the corn has some butter in it too."

"Mmm…" Josh's mouth started watering a little after hearing what was in store. "What could I have possibly done to deserve such a special meal tonight, baby boy?"

"For one, you seemed really tired and I wanted to do something nice for you after the long day you had." Tyler handed him his plate and his glass of wine. "Two, I wanted to practice cooking. I'm your Keeper and I don't cook for you nearly as much as I should. I know that's part of Fynnley's job here, but still… I want to spoil you a little too sometimes. You deserve it, Jish."

Josh had the sweetest look on his face. "You're such an amazing boy. C'mere, give me a hug."

They hugged, and Tyler couldn't help but smile as he felt that coveted sense of approval from his Protector, making his Time Keeper ache in the most pleasant, toe-curling way.

"Ready to eat?"

Picking up his own plate and glass of wine, Tyler gave him a soft smile. "I think so."

Josh leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "There's a lot of food, so take your time, okay? I'm in no hurry at all, baby boy."

Tyler's smile widened at his Protector's sweet words. "You're so good to me."

"Always."

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

"You did so well, sweetheart. I'm really proud of you."

After dinner, with nothing but a few remnants of Tyler's "chocolate surprise" left over on their shared plate, Tyler was nothing but smiles as his Protector showered him with compliments and affection.

"I'm proud of you for eating it." Tyler chuckled a little. "I thought it was gonna be awful."

"No, I loved it. It was amazing." Josh leaned in and kissed him, making Tyler giggle a little at the taste of chocolate on his lips. "I say this with no pressure or expectations at all, but I'd love to see what else you could make in the future."

Tyler smiled, albeit, a bit sadly. "Maybe. Cooking used to have such negative connotations for me because my ex-Protector hated most of everything I made for him. It finally got to the point where he had me picking up takeout and fast food every night. Of course, I never got to eat any of it. And forget about sneaking a few fries or anything; if he even _suspected_ I had opened the bag for any reason, he hit me."

"Oh, my God… you don't know how much I want to kill that bastard. I just want to track him down and..." Josh trailed off before letting out a frustrated huff. "I hate him."

"I know, J, I do too. But killing him won't solve anything; you'll just go to prison and then I'll be even worse off than before. I couldn't handle losing another Protector again." Tyler looked down, fighting back tears. "I… I can't lose you, Joshua."

Josh's heart pulled at the emotional look on Tyler's face. "Oh, baby, I'm staying right here by your side. I promise. I'd never do anything like that to jeapordize our relationship. I just get frustrated when I think about Gabriel and the hell he put you through. He's such a vile person."

Tyler nodded. "Y-Yeah… he really is. It's okay, though, Jish, I get frustrated too. But I'm glad we have each other now. You're such a kind, sweet, and amazing guy."

"You hear that? It's the sound of my ego inflating," Josh teased before taking the plate out of Tyler's hand and placing it on his bedside table so he could wrap his arms around his Keeper. "Thank you for saying that, sweet boy. I think you are all that and more… caring, funny, generous, affectionate..."

"Affectionate's always good." Tyler giggled a little as Josh kissed him. "Thank you, J. We could go back and forth about this all night, you know."

"We could. I wouldn't mind at all." Josh let his hands linger on the sides of Tyler's neck. "I'd gladly spend all day and night telling you everything that I love about you and your beautiful personality."

"I love you, J," Tyler said softly, brown eyes gazing into Josh's with an unmatched intensity.

"I love you too, Tyler." Josh guided Tyler's upper body forward so he could kiss him on the forehead. "I really want to kiss you."

"Then kiss me, silly."

"No… _kiss_ you, kiss you."

"Oh…" Tyler looked down and blushed as he realized what Josh was alluding to. "W-We can make out. I don't mind."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like you have to just because of me."

"No, no." The brunette gave Josh a shy smile. "I want to."

"Okay. We don't have to go any further than kissing, okay? Your comfort is always my first priority, darling."

Tyler put a finger up to Josh's lips, a sweet, yet grateful smile playing at his lips. "Just shush and kiss me, you dork."

Josh smiled back, not needing to be told twice as he leaned in and connected their lips together in a soft kiss.

Before long, Tyler had Josh pushed back against the pillows, a bright red blush on his face as he sat up on his knees and moved to straddle his Protector's lap.

The older man pulled away from the kiss, a shocked look on his face. "Whoa."

"Whoa," Tyler echoed before giggling. "Is this okay?"

"Definitely okay. You're being a little forward... I like it."

He giggled. "Maybe it's the fish."

"Silly goose."

Tyler shifted around a little to get comfortable, arms circling around Josh's neck as another soft giggle left his mouth.

"You're such a cutie," Josh said before capturing Tyler's lips into another feverish kiss, trying his best to ignore the part of him coming to "life" underneath his clothing.

Strong hands roamed across Tyler's face, neck, shoulders and arms before stopping to linger over the buttons on his shirt. Everything inside of Josh wanted to just take Tyler's shirt off so he could feel the smooth expanse of his lover's chest, but that would be too much, especially without any consent.

Tyler placed his hands over Josh's, his face even redder than before. "J?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Is… is it okay if we…"

Josh nodded. "We can stop."

"No, um…"

His eyes widened.

Another giggle and Tyler's intense blush started spreading down to his neck.

"Can we keep going?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> Your girl turned 22 two days ago.
> 
> What is your favorite music genre?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"The brightness of the sun will give me just enough to bury my love in the moondust."**

Josh wanted to jump up and down at Tyler's question, but he _also_ didn't want to ruin what they had going, so he just smiled and nodded. "Of course, baby. Do you trust me?"

"I do."

"Good." Josh's fingers played at the top button of Tyler's shirt. "I'm so proud of you."

Tyler smiled, running his hands up and down Josh's forearms as the older man gently made his way down the line of buttons. "Thank you. I think another part of you would agree as well…" He shifted around again on Josh's crotch and giggled.

"Hey, I can't help it that you're such a wiggle worm."

"I can't help it either… well..." Tyler grinned.

"Oh, my, looks like my Keeper's back to being a little tease again." Josh smiled as he undid the last button on Tyler's shirt before slipping it off his shoulders. "You're so beautiful, baby boy."

"Thank you, J," Tyler said shyly, a small shiver going down his spine as the cold air hit his skin.

Josh kissed him again as he let his fingers drag down Tyler's ribcage before they fully wrapped around his hip bones, gently teasing the skin underneath the waistband of his jeans.

Pulling away from the kiss, Tyler took Josh's hands away and splayed them across his chest instead. Realizing his lover's silent request, Josh let his fingers brush across pink nipples, loving the soft hitch in his Keeper's breath as he did.

"You like that, baby?" When Tyler nodded, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the younger boy's sternum, enjoying the sensation of his heart beating inside of his chest. "Heart's beating so fast, love…"

"Because of you," Tyler said softly, fingers tangling themselves up in Josh's curly hair. "Always you, Joshua."

Smiling, Josh reached up and caressed Tyler's face. "So pretty. Can I lay you down, sweetheart?"

Tyler had the softest look on his face. "As long as you take your shirt off too."

Josh grinned before reaching for the hem of his tee shirt and pulling it up and over his head, a wave of confidence washing over him as he took in the way Tyler was looking at his body. "Like what you see, baby boy?"

He nodded, teeth grazing over his bottom lip. "You have such a gorgeous body."

The older man let out a soft 'aww' before pulling Tyler's chest flush with his own, the skin contact making tiny tingles run up and down their spines. "Thank you, Ty. So do you."

With one seamless movement, Josh had Tyler on his back, the cool bedspread contrasting the warm skin on top of it. As they gazed up into each other's eyes, hands still for just a few moments, an indescribable haze of love and affection settled over them, somehow heightening, yet blurring their senses at the same time.

"I love you," Josh whispered into Tyler's ear before dipping his head down, breath ghosting out across his neck.

Tyler managed to get out something resembling an 'I love you too' as Josh's lips pressed to pleasantly sensitive skin. And as the brunette laid in bed with his Protector on top of him, doting all of his affection on his jawline, neck and collarbone, he wondered if all of this was even real.

_Is it possible to feel so loved and adored by one person?_

With every touch of Josh's hands, a little bit of the wall Tyler had built around himself crumbled away into tiny pieces. Intimacy wasn't an overnight process... but his Protector sure knew all the right ways to help things along in their journey.

Brown eyes fluttered open again as Tyler felt Josh sit up. He watched as the older man looped his fingers underneath the waistband of his own pajama pants and inched them down _ever_ so slowly, until he was clad in just his boxer briefs.

Tyler blushed at the sight, an anticipatory shiver rushing down his skin as he looked at Josh straining against his underwear.

"Man, I feel so naked right now, at least compared to you," Josh teased, a playful smile on his face.

"Silly goose."

"Yep, I'm your silly goose." Josh leaned up and kissed him again. "Is this okay?"

Tyler realized that Josh's hands were on the button of his skinny jeans. Looking back up into his lover's eyes, he smiled and nodded. "Of course, J. You can touch me anywhere."

"I always just want to be sure," Josh said softly. "But since you said 'anywhere,' I may have to take you up on that." He smiled.

"So sweet to me," Tyler mumbled as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Josh's neck. "All yours, J."

Before long, Tyler's pants were on the floor and the two boys were laid down together, palming each other through their underwear. As they moved along, slowly but surely, Tyler felt bashful, yet his hands had taken to Josh's body with a comfortable sense of familiarity, signaling how in-tune they still were with each other, even after some time had gone by between their last sexual encounter.

"You're doing amazing, baby," Josh praised him. "I'm so proud of you."

Tyler smiled, ducking his face between Josh's neck and collarbone. "T-Thank you, Joshua, but what's there to be proud of?"

"You're hard, for one thing. And for someone that's working through a lot of fears and insecurities about sex and intimacy, that's amazing. You're touching me. You're being responsive. So many things to be proud of my sweet boy for." Josh turned his head so he could kiss Tyler's forehead. "I love you."

Crying, even if they were happy tears, seemed like it would be a total buzz-kill right now, so Tyler tried his best to fight back his overwhelming emotions. "I love you too, Joshua. So, so much."

"May I take these off, baby doll?" Josh tugged at Tyler's underwear a little.

Tyler giggled, though it sounded more like a hiccup-y gasp than anything. "As long as I can take yours off too."

He held his hips up so Josh could slip his underwear off from around him. Blushing, he leaned over and kissed him as his hands went to his Protector's underwear, inching them down as _slowly_ as possible.

Josh dragged Tyler's bottom lip along with him as he pulled away. "You're such a freaking tease, Tyler Joseph."

"I learned from the best." Tyler grinned.

"That _may_ be true… but I think you had a bit of a teasing side to you before we even met." Josh smiled and kissed him again. "It just took a little coaxing to bring it out of you."

"And you've helped bring out the best in me, J." Tyler smiled back as he wrapped his arms around Josh's back.

"Oh, darling, you've done the same. But right now… I want to help you with something else." His voice took on a more softer tone. "Can I make you feel beautiful?"

Tyler swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Y-Yes… be gentle?"

"Of course, my love."

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

"So gorgeous, baby boy," Josh praised Tyler as he touched him, gently stroking the most sensitive part of his body.

"T-Thank you…" Tyler whispered back.

Inside of his mind, it felt a little strange to be touching Josh like this after so long, but any awkward feelings were ultimately overshadowed by the fact there was nothing he loved more than to touch and be touched by his Protector.

It was right. It was natural. It was… Josh.

Speaking of Josh, Tyler's mind was pulled out of its thoughts when said man climbed on top of him, their dicks unceremoniously rubbing up against each other.

He wondered what exactly his Protector had up his sleeve until he felt hips shift up against his own. The outstanding friction made a moan slip out of his mouth before he could stop it. A bit embarrassed, he looked up at Josh, who had the most pleased expression on his face.

"Sorry…" Tyler mumbled.

"No, don't apologize. I want to hear your voice." Josh held his head up so he could kiss Tyler's forehead. "You can be as loud as you want. It's just us, baby boy."

And with that, Josh shifted his hips again and Tyler let out a loud gasp, fingers digging into his Protector's back.

Josh hissed out a curse word at that, half-expecting Tyler to scold him, but the younger boy was far too distracted right now to worry anything about what his Protector was saying… just as long as he kept rubbing up against all the right places.

_Gosh, it'd been such a long time…_

Time seemed to pass by quickly with eyelids squeezed shut until Tyler heard his name. When he opened his eyes and saw Josh's own closed eyes, he realized that his name had been said in pleasure, that very fact confirmed as his Protector repeated it over and over again like a flawless mantra.

And just like that, his heart took flight and _soared._

Grinding, rubbing, and everything else in-between… all movements and sounds began to blur into one as a vice grip made its way around Tyler's lungs, his legs moving to wrap around Josh's lower back.

"J-Josh," Tyler moaned out as he tried to pull his Protector as close to him as physically possible. "P-Please…"

The older man's grip tightened on him as he tried to keep from falling apart right then and there. "Doing so good for me, letting me touch your beautiful body like this," he breathed out into Tyler's ear. "So, so good for me. I love you, baby. I love you so much…"

Sweet nothings fell out of Josh's mouth as the vice grip tightened again, leaving Tyler to wonder if he was dying or just simply being re-born again in this fragile moment.

Josh leaned down to kiss the brunette and was surprised when he felt warm tears on his skin. And what Tyler feared might have been a buzz-kill was anything but to the curly-haired man.

He knew. He _always_ knew.

"Shh, shh… hold onto me. I've got you, baby boy."

"I love you." Tyler's voice came out strained, not a single piece of him left that wasn't entirely captivated by Josh, held dear by the one man that never ceased to light a fire in his soul and burn the foliage of insecurities that life had planted inside of his bones.

And in that moment… Josh knew he had broke through.

Fingernails and heels dug into pale skin, Tyler let out something resembling a moan and a gasp as he allowed Josh to take him to the one place only _they_ knew about.

Mind going blank, Tyler tried his best to keep himself in the moment, but still found himself slipping into his usual, oxygen-deprived delirium. It wasn't until he heard the distant sound of Josh's voice telling him to breathe that he finally let out a broken moan, panting and moaning out all of the tension held inside of his body.

Eyes hyper-focused on a single yellow strand of hair, a loud ringing took over his ears as he rode out the residual waves of his orgasm. Every single thing in his mind centered around Josh as he felt the older man collapse on top of him, spreading white heat between their skin.

And that's how they laid for a few minutes, allowing time for their heartbeats (and Tyler's Time Keeper) to calm down just enough for them to catch their breath.

Tyler, eyes now focused on the ceiling, let out one final, heavy sigh as the vice grip left his lungs… here and gone in such a short amount of time, always leaving such a beautiful disaster in its wake.

"Hey…" Tyler's focus finally broke at the sound of Josh's voice. "Are you with me?"

"Yes... I'm with you."

"I'm glad." Josh smiled before pulling himself off of Tyler. "Let me go get us a washcloth, baby.

Tyler looked down at himself. "Jeez."

_If there was one thing time didn't change…_

"You already know I think it's insanely hot." Josh grinned before chuckling a little. "Hang tight for me, sweetheart."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *****

After Josh cleaned both of them off and ran downstairs to refill their wine glasses, the two of them settled back into bed to cuddle and share some much-needed pillow talk.

"How are you feeling, baby?"

Tyler leaned his head on Josh's chest, a deliriously soft smile on his face. "Amazing... how about you?"

"Sleepy." Josh grinned. "Proud."

"Proud?"

"Yeah." Josh leaned over and gave him a slow, soft kiss on the lips. "You did so well. I'm so proud of you, Tyler. I know I keep telling you that, but it's just so amazing to me that you were brave enough to let me in so we could do that together."

Tyler closed his eyes, a light pink blush dusted across his cheeks. "Thank you, Joshua, I-I'm proud of you too."

"Me? What for?"

"For never giving up on me." Tyler looked up at him, eyes glossed over with tears. "For being so sweet and respecting my body. For being a wonderful Protector to me through all my insecurities. Josh, when we were together, I didn't even think once about being self-conscious because you… you made me feel so beautiful. You make me feel _loved_."

"You _are_ loved. And I'll do whatever I can to make sure you always feel that way." Josh kissed him on the forehead. "I want to say thank you as well. Guess we're just two proud boys, huh?"

"Two happy boys." Tyler smiled. "I'm sorry we couldn't have sex, though, I know that would have made you even happier."

"No, no, baby, I'm just as satisfied with what we did. We have to start somewhere, and like I've said to you before, we go as slow or as fast as you'd like. It's all up to you." Josh leaned in close to Tyler's ear, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Just know that when you _do_ let me, I'm gonna make love to you until you're seeing stars behind those pretty eyes of yours, baby doll."

Tyler's breath hitched inside of his throat. "J-Josh…"

"Hm, I guess it'd be too soon for Round Two, huh?" Josh laughed. "Just kidding, love."

"I swear to goodness…"

Josh kissed him again, holding him tight in his arms. "Mm, I love you, darling."

"And I love you, Josh." Tyler let his head fall back down to rest on Josh's chest. "You're my world."

"You're my galaxy."

"We should put the galaxy lights back up soon. As a reminder of what's to come."

"I'd like that."

"Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sure, sweetness. How about in the afternoon after you come home?"

Tyler was a bit confused. "Come home?"

"You, Fynnley and Oliver are supposed to go see our two little loves tomorrow morning, remember?"

"Oh, right." Tyler grinned, an excited buzz running through his Time Keeper as he remembered. "I'm so grateful to have you guys in my life."

"We're grateful to have you too, Ty." Josh leaned down and kissed the tip of Tyler's nose, making him giggle. "You mean more to us than you'll ever know."

Tyler looked up at him with his brown, doe eyes. "Are you sure?"

Josh smiled, his heart pulling a little at the look in his baby boy's eyes. "Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> What are some of your Joshler pet peeves?
> 
> Bonus question: If I were to make videos (voice only) talking about my book, Joshler, writing, the clique, etc. and post them to YouTube, would you "watch" it?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"Try to tell me what I shouldn't do, you should know by now I won't listen to you."**

"Welcome to Casa de Satterfield!"

Noah had the biggest smile on his face when he opened the front door and saw Tyler, Oliver and Fynnley standing on the porch.

"You have a sweet house, dude," Fynnley said. "What kind of job do _you_ have?"

Oliver nudged his Protector in the side. "Fynnley."

Noah just laughed. "Thanks, man. Since you guys like it so much, would you like a tour?"

"Sure!" they both said.

Oliver and Fynnley walked off with Noah, while Tyler went in the opposite direction. "I'm gonna go see Annaliese," he said.

"You can find her out on the back porch!" Noah called over his shoulder. "Careful, though, she's a little irritable this morning."

_Annaliese? Irritable?_

Tyler just raised an eyebrow before disappearing off into the kitchen where the door to the back porch was. Opening it, he went outside, rounding the corner before seeing Annaliese lounging in one of the rocking chairs with Luna laid against her chest and Lakota laid on her lap.

"Good morning, sweet girl," Tyler greeted Annaliese with a big smile.

Her otherwise tired eyes lit up when she saw Tyler. "Oh, Ty-Ty, you're here! I'd get up and hug you, but… you know."

"That's what my arms are for." Tyler giggled a little before walking over and wrapping his arm around her in a side hug. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better…"

Tyler took a moment to look Annaliese up and down. Hair in an extremely messy half-bun, nightgown not buttoned up all the way and dark circles underneath her eyes, she looked like a typical mother of a newborn… times two.

_A tiring job, indeed._

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Tyler asked.

She motioned to the twins and smiled. "Pick one."

Eyes going back and forth, Tyler debated inside of his mind for a moment or two before finally deciding on Lakota, since he wasn't laying on his mama's chest. "How about your little guy?"

"Fine by me. The hand sanitizer bottle's over on the table. You know how it is here; hand sanitizer everywhere."

Tyler smiled. "Better safe than sorry." After he finished rubbing it into his hands, he came back over to Annaliese. "So how high of a chance do you think there is that he'll spit up on me?"

"Well, they ate a couple hours ago, so it shouldn't be that high, but then again… anything is possible with Kota."

"Guess I'll have to take a chance with little Kota then." Tyler smiled as he slipped one hand underneath Lakota's head and the other underneath his bum.

He held Lakota up to his chest, who cooed at him in response. "Hey, cutie, how ya doing?" He sat down in the rocking chair next to Annaliese, sighing a little bit. "It's a pretty morning out for the end of winter."

"Yeah, it's nice. Noah had suggested we come out and get a little sunshine on our skin. We've been stuck inside all weekend because I have a mild case of mastitis right now and it's been painful trying to nurse them off my left breast."

"Oh, no…" Tyler started to pat Lakota on the back, as he had the hiccups. "That sounds awful. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Get me a new pair of tits?" She laughed. "It's only been a month and they're already saggy and achy."

"At least it's for a good cause." Tyler smiled as Lakota let out another tiny hiccup. "They're growing so well."

"The pediatrician says they're doing just fine for multiples and my OB-GYN says I'm doing well too. I'm just a little concerned because Lakota is gaining weight faster than Luna. The doctor said it's normal, but you know how moms are about their kids."

"Every baby's different." Leaning Lakota up against his chest, he reached over and patted Annaliese's hand. "You're such a good mommy."

"Crazy mommy." Annaliese laughed before turning her attention to Luna, who was starting to fuss. "Oh, baby, what's wrong?"

"Isn't it funny how babies sound when they're winding themselves up to cry?

"Personally, I think it's buffer time for parents to figure out what's wrong before the screaming starts." Annaliese took Luna off from her chest and held her up. "I think this little girl is hungry... again. I swear, bottomless pits inside _and_ outside my belly."

Tyler leaned down so he could kiss Lakota's forehead. "They're so beautiful, though."

"Aw, thank you, Ty-Ty. I know they love you already." She laid Luna down in her lap and it didn't take long for the little one to be fixated by the vibrant blue sky above. Taking advantage of the temporary distraction, Annaliese unbuttoned her gown the rest of the way and slid the right strap down. "Do you mind if I breastfeed her in front of you? If it's uncomfortable for you, I can go inside and nurse her."

"Well, to be fair, I did watch you give birth so I don't think nipples are that big of a deal to me anymore…"

There was a brief moment of silence before Tyler and Annaliese busted out laughing. "Sassy, sassy Tyler," she said, shaking her head a little. "You have a good point, though."

"Love you, Annaliese."

"And I love you, Ty-Guy." She finished getting herself situated before picking up Luna and positioning her. "Well, at least Lakota's content for now."

Tyler ran his hand across Lakota's reddish-brownish hair, smiling down at him. "Sweet boy."

Just then, the back door opened and out came Noah, Fynnley and Oliver… though, the latter two looked quite surprised to see Annaliese in all of her half-naked glory.

"Oh, jeez, I forgot y'all were coming too," Annaliese said as she moved to cover up her right breast. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Oliver said. "It's natural."

Fynnley gave Annaliese a smile. "Totally. Just because we're gay doesn't mean we're gonna freak out at the sight of boobs."

Annaliese laughed. "Great to know. Thanks for coming to see me and the babies."

"That little guy with Tyler is Lakota Sora and Annaliese has our Luna Nari," Noah said, motioning to each one. "Luna is the sweetheart but Lakota is the troublemaker, so don't let the cute face fool you."

By this time, Oliver had rubbed hand sanitizer into his hands and taken Lakota from Tyler. "He's so little!"

"Well, he is still a newborn," Noah teased. "Little but strong."

Lakota was clearly enamored by Oliver's face, cooing and making noises at him. Oliver, on the other hand, was all smiles, letting the little one hold on to his finger.

"A baby looks good on you, Oli," Fynnley stated.

"Wish we could be parents to one of our own," Oliver replied, a sad tone to his voice. "But thank you, Fynn."

A few moments of silence set in before Annaliese broke it. "Well, call me crazy, but I think life has great things in store for you two."

Fynnley grinned. "Okay, Crazy. We appreciate ya."

Tyler watched curiously as Fynn and Oliver 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed over Lakota. They really _would_ make good parents; it was too bad Oliver had gotten sick and they had to put their plans on hold for the time being.

_Health was on their side again, though. So who knows what could happen?_

"Are you all done, baby girl?" Annaliese asked as she pulled herself back into her nightgown. She looked back up at Tyler and the gang. "She always likes to act like she's starving, but personally, I think she likes nursing like this so she can fall asleep attached to me."

"Just means she loves you," Noah said, leaning down to kiss Annaliese's forehead. "And I love you too."

She smiled. "Aw, I love you too, Noah." Wiping off Luna's face with the corner of her burp cloth, she looked up at Fynn. "Alright, Fynnley, are you ready to hold Luna and give my arms a break?"

"Of course. As long as she doesn't puke on me."

"Everyone's so worried about spit-up!" She laughed. "Here," she said, tossing him the cloth. "Do you mind burping her a little? She tends to burp better when she's sitting up, by the way."

Tyler got up so Fynnley could sit down. Everyone watched as he scooped up Luna into his arms… immediately, she started fussing.

"Oh, no, she hates me!" Fynn exclaimed, a panicked look on his face.

"She doesn't hate you, she's just a mama's girl," Annaliese said. "Come on, Luna, let Uncle Fynn hold you for awhile."

Fynnley sat down on the rocking chair and positioned Luna so she was sitting up. She immediately stopped crying and sat there quietly as "Uncle Fynn" gently patted her on the back.

"Hey, I'm a First Class Baby Whisperer," Fynn said, a cheesy grin on his face.

Everyone laughed.

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

"I can't believe we're doing this."

An hour and a half later, and so far, things had escalated past the peaceful morning they had all been enjoying outside. All it took was Annaliese and Noah going back inside while Tyler, Oliver and Fynnley hung outside with the twins… but by the time they went back inside, a fight was in-progress.

The overall theme of the heated conversation was that Annaliese felt exhausted and overwhelmed… Noah, of course, felt like he'd been doing the best he could (when he wasn't at work, of course) with the resources and energy that he had. Regardless, the fight ended with Annaliese in tears and Noah feeling a bit helpless as to what he could possibly do…

So, naturally, after a few suggestions, Noah had the idea to deem himself "Super Daddy" and take the twins out somewhere, with the promise of help from Oliver, Fynnley and Tyler, of course.

"We're trying to help Noah make nice with Mama Annaliese," Oliver told Fynnley.

"Yeah, she deserves a break," Tyler put in.

Fynnley cleared his throat. "Okay, so why am I riding in the back of the SUV with Luna and Lakota then?"

"Because you're the First Class Baby Whisperer," Oliver said, to which Tyler giggled. "Shouldn't have said it if you didn't want to take on the responsibilities of the role."

Fynnley rolled his eyes. "Such lame-o's."

The driver's side door opened and in came Noah, keys in hand. "Okay, the kids are all buckled in and you guys are in here. Is everyone ready to go?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Oliver replied. "Where are we going?"

"I wanna get Annaliese an appreciation present and her favorite store is in the mall, so I was thinking we could go there. We have the stroller in the trunk too."

Everyone looked at each other and then nodded in agreement.

"That sounds good," Fynnley said.

"Sweet. Annaliese gave me some formula to take with us because she hasn't felt up to pumping much milk for bottles. And we have plenty of water in the diaper bag, so we should be okay for a couple hours."

"Well, we're ready if you are."

"Let's go!"

"Shh… they're falling asleep," Fynnley whispered. "Trust me, the expert would know."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "The expert in lame-o-ness."

Fynnley stuck his tongue out at him. "Don't be jealous, Oli McGuire."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *****

Two hours into their shopping trip and the twins were awake, so they all decided to stop in the food court and get some lunch. And to add to the excitement, Josh didn't have anymore conference calls for the day, so he was currently on his way over to the mall to join the foursome + two.

Pizza was on the menu for everyone, even though Tyler and Fynnley's hands were currently pre-occupied with feeding Luna and Lakota their bottles.

"You know, there's something special about the way a baby looks up at you while they're drinking their bottle," Tyler said wistfully, eyes wide and enamored as he gazed at Luna.

"But there's also something _strange_ about the way people look at four guys with twin newborns," Fynnley said. "Just because we're all young guys doesn't mean we can't take the kids out for a stroll, you know?"

"It's because they think the only thing we can do is drop the kids off at the pool," Noah stated before shoving his slice of pizza into his mouth.

Fynnley grinned. "Hey, better to drop them off at the pool than somewhere else."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "You guys are so gross."

"Guilty as charged." Noah laughed. "No, but seriously, gender roles suck. Dads and guys are just as good of caretakers as moms and girls."

"I think people are just curious," Tyler said. "Enjoy the positive attention while you can, Fynnley."

"Please. I get plenty of positive attention." Fynn leaned over and batted his eyelashes at Oliver. "Isn't that right, Oli?"

"Somewhat." Oliver gave him a teasing smile before leaning over and kissing him on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, Oliver."

"You guys are making me miss my Keeper," Noah said. "I wish Annaliese hadn't gotten so upset today."

"She's just stressed, dude," Fynnley said. "She has that thing wrong with her breast and she's with Lakota and Luna pretty much 24/7. That's a lot of pressure."

Noah nodded. "You're right. I can't imagine all that she's going through right now." He sighed. "I really hope she likes her present. I think I should get her some flowers and a card too, don't you think?"

Tyler smiled. "Everyone loves presents, flowers and cards."

Just as Tyler shifted around a little with Luna, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders and a familiar scent fill his lungs.

"Good afternoon, pretty Keeper."

Tyler smiled as he leaned his head back, looking up at his one and only Protector. "Hi, Jish. Good to see you."

"Good to see you too, my love." He kissed Tyler on the forehead before leaning down and kissing Luna's forehead as well. "Good to see little baby girl too; both of you are so precious."

He smiled even bigger, the tiniest of a blush blooming across his cheeks. "T-Thank you, Joshua."

"Well, if it's not Mr. Josh Dun…" Fynnley held his spare hand out for the two to do their special handshake. "What's up, dude?"

"Just came to hang out with my Keeper and some of my other favorite people." Josh sat down in the empty seat next to Tyler. "The best way to spend your afternoon, honestly."

Fynnley looked over at Oliver, pure adoration embedded in his eyes, and smiled. "Agreed."

"So which twin am I holding first?"

"You can hold Lakota," Fynn suggested. "My arms are getting tired."

Noah tossed Josh a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and it wasn't long before the older man had Lakota (and his bottle) in his hands. "Hey, little Lakota," he cooed. "You enjoying your bottle, sweet boy?"

Inside of his mind, Tyler couldn't help but echo the earlier sentiments of Oliver… a baby looked _really_ good on his J. But he knew there was a big difference between him and Josh, and Fynnley and Oliver… the latter would make excellent parents and certainly now had the health and circumstances to raise a child. But when it came to Tyler and his own Protector, he had a seizure disorder and that in itself terrified him that he'd be a hazard to not only himself, but any child they might have.

Was it true? Probably not. But it was still a fear.

Tyler snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Luna's bottle was just about empty. He took it out of her mouth before sitting her up and patting her on the back.

"Are you gonnna give me a burp, baby girl?"

After a minute or two, she finally burped, much to Tyler's relief. The relief quickly turned to panic, though, when he heard the tiniest of grunts come from her.

"Uh… Noah?"

Noah turned his attention to Tyler and then Luna. Watching as her face reddened a little before relaxing, he just shook his head and grinned. "Well, that didn't take long. Don't worry, Ty, I'll go change her when she's done. It's bound to be a hot mess."

Tyler laughed. "Sounds good."

A few minutes went by before an elderly woman passing by their table stopped to look at Josh and Lakota. "Oh, well, isn't he just precious!"

"Me or the baby?" Josh grinned. "No, thank you."

"I like your sense of humor, young man. How old is he?"

"A month and a half."

"Well, you and your baby look just alike!"

Josh tried to stifle a laugh. "Thanks, but he's not my baby. Though I'm sure his mother and I were related somewhere down the line…" He pointed to the other end of the table. "That's his dad right there."

The woman looked absolutely mortified. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't offend you."

He gave her a smile. "Not at all. I _am_ his honorary non-biological uncle, and so is my boyfriend, who's holding his twin sister. We're just one big happy family."

"Splendid." The embarrassed look on her face started to fade some. "Well, cherish your time with them. I have seven grandchildren. They do grow up fast..."

"Will do."

The woman gave him a pleasant smile before walking away.

"Well, that was a little awkward," Oliver said, chuckling a little. "She looked _so_ confused when you said Lakota's not yours."

"Eh, it's fine." Josh shrugged a little. "Asian problems."

The whole group laughed.

"You know, maybe you ought to join one of those ancestry websites," Fynnley suggested. "You seriously might be related to one of Annaliese's ancestors or a bunch of other Japanese people you never knew about."

"Maybe I'm related to royalty," Josh said, grinning. "Prince Josh."

"You're a prince in my eyes," Tyler said softly.

Josh couldn't help but blush at his Keeper's sweet words. "And you're an angel in my eyes, sweetness."

Tyler leaned over and kissed Josh on the cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you too… my princess." He smiled at Tyler's bright red face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> Right now, in the life of dreamertyler, I am undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a way to treat bipolar disorder that otherwise isn't responding to solely medication. Ironically, I can relate a lot to Tyler's feelings about not being able to drive myself around right now, but I also know it's just a temporary thing.
> 
> What is your biggest fear?
> 
> Bonus question: Would anyone like to talk? I'm looking for more friends on here! Feel free to leave a comment. ♡


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"And the darkness has a voice tonight."**

"Rise and shine, baby boy, Oliver will be here in an hour!"

Tyler pulled the blanket over his head at the sound of Josh's voice, interrupting his precious sleep. "S'too early..." he groaned.

"I know, but you told Oli you would go with him to the nail studio this morning." Josh moved the blanket away so he could lean down and kiss Tyler on the forehead. "You don't want to disappoint him, do you?"

He let out a tiny sigh before shaking his head. "No..."

"Alright, good boy."

Tyler couldn't help but smile at that. He took his hand out from underneath the blanket and let it rest on top of Josh's. "Only for you, J."

Josh turned his hand over so their fingers could intertwine. "Love you, sweetness."

Smiling again, Tyler gave his Protector's hand a gentle squeeze. "I love you too, Jish."

"Let's go and get you ready, cutie."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

"Being here is so nostalgic."

An hour and a half later, Oliver and Tyler were sitting in plush chairs with their feet submerged in warm water.

Nostalgic _and_ relaxing.

"This is where you met Annaliese, right?"

"Yeah. I still remember how terrified I felt when I first showed her my Time Keeper symbol."

Oliver gave him a smile. "That was such a brave thing for you to do, Tyler."

"Aw, thanks, Oli. It didn't feel that brave, though."

"Well, suppose, you were mistaken and she was just an ordinary person. She could have caused a huge scene. But you still took a chance, anyway. That's really brave."

"You're right." He smiled. "Thank you."

"Of course. I guess a lot has changed between then and now, huh?"

"It has. It's strange thinking back to when it was just her and Noah." Tyler chuckled a little. "Luna and Lakota definitely weren't planned, you know."

Oliver laughed. "Yeah, life's crazy like that."

"At least we got two babies to spoil out of the deal."

"Yeah, I wish guys could have babies. Fynnley and I would have one in a heartbeat."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: You two would make amazing parents. When all of us went to the mall, I saw the look Fynn had in his eyes when you had Luna in your arms... he was enamored."

"Thanks, Ty. But... I genuinely don't know if I'd make a good parent..."

"Why do you say that? You're kind, compassionate, loving -- you'd be a wonderful parent, Oliver."

"Thank you. It doesn't have anything to do with flaws... though, I'm sure I have my fair share of those too." He took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Tyler, if I tell you something really personal, can I trust you to keep it between the two of us?"

"Of course, Oli. You can always trust me. I consider you to be one of my best friends."

He smiled a little. "Well, thank you, Ty. Same goes to you." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I wanted to tell you that I met with a psychiatrist earlier this week."

"A psychiatrist? Oli... what's going on?"

"Fynnley was the one who suggested it. Ever since we escaped from Dema, I've been... struggling. I've told you bits and pieces about what Nico did to me, but I still haven't told you everything. There's some stuff I'll probably never be able to tell you."

"I'm so sorry."

"You're sweet, Ty-Ty. Usually, I try not to let it have too much control over me, but... there's still skeletons in the closet that I can't seem to get rid of."

Tyler nodded slowly. "Sometimes, the more you get rid of, the more you uncover."

"Right." Oliver sighed. "You get so used to being strong for everyone else that you don't even realize you're falling apart until it's too late."

"I don't think it's too late for you." Tyler reached over and patted Oliver's hand. "You went to see a psychiatrist. That was a really brave thing for you to do."

"You think so?"

"Know so." Tyler gave him a bright smile. "I'm really proud of you, Oli."

"Thank you." Oliver gave him a sweet smile in return. "I have an amazing example for a best friend. Bravest guy I know."

Words would _always_ fail him when it came time to recall all of the amazing things Tyler had accomplished. But Oliver knew. He knew every important detail and then some when it came to his precious friend.

"You know, we can go back and forth on this all day," Tyler teased, a light-hearted expression etched across his face.

Oliver chuckled. "We can. Thanks for saying you're proud of me, by the way."

Tyler smiled. "Of course. It takes a lot to break down and admit you need help. I admire how open you're being about it." His attention flicked away briefly as the nail tech came over to get started on his feet. "What are Fynn's thoughts?"

"He just wants me to get better. I think it hurts him to see me struggling. And I don't _want_ to struggle, but that's just how things work out. You know?"

"Yeah, I know. You don't deserve it, Oli, you've already been through so much. You deserve nothing but joy and happiness."

"Aww... you really mean that?"

"Of course I do. So back to what you were saying before, is that why you feel like you wouldn't be a good parent?"

"It's a big part of the reason. I just don't want to bring a kid into a mess. Children need stability. A part of me knows I'm more than capable of giving him or her that, yet another part of me is terrified about all the things that could potentially go wrong."

"Well, with all due respect, Oliver, if people let fear of failure get in their way of having kids, the human race would have gone extinct a long time ago."

Oliver sighed a little. "Yeah, I know."

"It's all trial and error. And it's not like you'll be going at it alone."

"Yeah, you're right. Fynn would make an amazing father. He may be a little spacey at times, but he means well."

"Aren't we all?" Tyler chuckled.

The blue-eyed boy just smiled. "True."

"I have a lot of faith in you, Oli."

"I appreciate that. I guess... I'm just scared."

"I know you are. But you're getting help now. That takes an incredibly strong person... believe me."

Oliver smiled. "T-Thank you, Ty-Ty..."

"We only want you to be happy, okay?"

He smiled again and nodded. "I know, and I appreciate you guys."

"So what happens next?"

"Looking for a therapist. And the psychiatrist's gonna start me on a trial run of a medication." Oliver sighed a little. "All of this feels so confusing, honestly."

"I bet. What has Fynnley had to say about everything?"

"He just said he'll do whatever he can to support me during all this."

"Fynnley is such a good Protector to you."

Oliver chuckled at the thought of his Fynn. "I wouldn't trade him for the world."

"Let me know if there's anything Josh and I can do to help, okay? We're here for you."

The blue-eyed boy gave Tyler a sweet smile. "I will. Love you, Ty."

"And I love you, Oli. Stay strong for me."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

Later on that evening, Tyler was in the middle of helping Josh with the dishes when he gave the older man a tiny hip bump.

Josh had a smile on his face as he turned around, playfully swiping some suds across Tyler's nose. "What was that for?"

Tyler giggled. "That was sweet of you to fix dinner tonight so Fynnley could go home early to Oli."

"Well, I thought they deserved some alone time. Fynnley mentioned to me what's been going on with Oliver."

"It's funny how we're both always in the know when it comes to them." Tyler smiled. "Fynnley tells you stuff that he thinks Oli doesn't know, but nine times out of ten, Oli has probably already told me about it _way_ beforehand."

"We're just stuck in a constant cycle of information." Josh chuckled before turning his attention back to the sink, hands occupied with scrubbing a pan. "Oliver is struggling with a lot right now, but I know he can get through it."

"Yeah. He will."

"You two are such strong, beautiful young men." Josh leaned over and placed a kiss on Tyler's forehead. "Sometimes I forget how young you are... you're so mature."

"Aw, you really mean that, J?"

"Of course." Leaning over again, Josh kissed him on the lips. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Josh." Tyler turned and looped his arms around Josh's neck, a coy smile on his face. "Can we have movies, cuddles and lots of kisses tonight?"

Josh's hands went to rest on his Keeper's hips. "Only if you say 'please.'"

Tyler giggled. "Silly goose. Please?"

He grinned. "I'll get the popcorn ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.**
> 
> **What is your favorite TØP album?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"I sailed from the forest with you."**

"Where's Josh?"

Fynnley nearly jumped out of his skin when Tyler rounded the corner with Cheetah in his arms. It had been months since Tyler and Josh had adopted their large, spotted cat, yet the blonde was still just as terrified of him.

"He ran out to the store for something. But he should be back in a little while."

Tyler pouted. "Aw, why didn't he tell me he was leaving?"

"You were asleep and he didn't want to wake you." Fynnley crossed his arms, a nervous look on his face as his arch-nemesis stared him down from just a few feet away. "Do you have to stand so close with him?"

"Aw, come on, Fynn, you don't have to be scared." Tyler kissed the side of his cat's face and smiled. "He's my pet Cheetah. He won't hurt you."

"Somehow, I feel like we have _very_ different levels of trust in Cheetah." Rolling his eyes, Fynn reached around to his back pocket and pulled out his phone. "I need to call Oliver and see how he's feeling, so I'll be in the kitchen."

Tyler's heart warmed at the sound of Oliver's name. "Tell him I said hi and that I love him."

"Hey, you never tell me that," Fynn teased.

"Love you _too_ , Fynnley." Tyler stuck his tongue out at him.

He gave him a knowing smile. "Mhm. See you in a bit."

Tyler bent over and let Cheetah jump out of his arms, said cat sauntering off to do his usual feline things. Sighing a little, the brunette decided to walk into the living room and settle down on the couch while he waited for Josh to come back.

Reaching for the remote, he turned on the TV. His afternoon nap hadn't been the best and right now, he just really needed something to distract himself.

Fifteen minutes or so went by before the sound of a key scraping against the lock came into earshot. Tyler's face lit up when he realized Josh was finally home.

After a minute or two, his Protector appeared in the living room, a bag in hand and a smile on his face. "Hey, baby. You're awake."

"Mhm." Tyler held his arms out for a hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, darling." Josh placed the bag down on the coffee table before leaning down and guiding his Keeper into a hug. "I didn't want to wake you up."

"Yeah, that's what Fynnley told me."

"Someone can be a little grouch when they wake up," Josh teased, a playful smile on his face.

"Well, I'm not grouchy now, am I?" Tyler smiled.

"True." Josh gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I love you, sweet boy."

"I love you too, Joshua." He turned his attention to the shopping bag on the table. "What did you get from the store?"

"Oh, this and that." Josh gave him another playful smile. "Why don't you look in the bag and see?"

"Sounds suspicious." Tyler grinned as he picked up the bag and rummaged around for what was inside. He gasped a little as he pulled his hand out. "Wow…"

A box of hair dye.

Josh's smile got even bigger. "I think it's finally time."

Tyler couldn't help but return the smile with just as much fervor. "Back to basics, huh?"

"More like back to black." Josh chuckled. "What do you think, Ty? Should I take the plunge?"

"Definitely!"

"Sick. Could I ask you a favor?"

"Anything."

"Help me dye my hair? The instructions are pretty simple."

Tyler couldn't help but smile. "Of course I will." He'd never say it out loud, but getting to do stuff like this with his Protector always made him happy. Really, anything that brought him closer to Josh never failed to give him a sense of joy and contentment.

Josh… made him feel whole.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask Fynn to help you," Tyler stated, smiling a little as he turned the box over in his hands. "He's the king of bleach and hair dye, after all."

"True. But I thought it'd be something fun for us to do together. Plus, maybe I just love having your hands in my hair." Josh stuck his tongue out at Tyler before chuckling. "I trust you, Tyler."

"Gloved hands," Tyler pointed out, smiling. "Can you imagine if my hands were black?"

Josh leaned over and kissed Tyler's forehead. "Silly boy. Don't worry, we'll make sure those pretty fingers of yours stay clean."

Tyler smiled before tucking the box underneath his arm. "I'll help you get everything set up, okay?"

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

"Hey, not bad for a first timer!"

Tyler looked up and smiled when he saw Fynnley standing in the doorway of the kitchen with an impressed look on his face.

"Aw, thanks, Fynn," the brunette said. "I'm just listening to Josh and reading the instructions, honestly."

"You take orders well," Fynn teased. "Really, though, you're doing a good job. I've been trying to convince Oli to dye his hair another color but he hasn't cracked yet."

"Well, I think his hair's just fine," Tyler said, smiling at the thought of his friend. Oh, how he wished Oliver would've came over with Fynnley today. "But thanks, Fynn."

"I need to bleach mine again soon. Unless you guys think this dirty blonde color looks better on me?"

"Either color looks great on you," Josh said, to which Tyler aptly agreed.

"Sweet." Fynnley cleared his throat a little. "Well, I've got some cleaning to do upstairs, so I'll catch you guys in a little bit."

"We'll be here," Tyler said, a sweet smile on his face.

Fynnley disappeared out of the kitchen, and from there, an hour passed by quickly. Soon, Josh had a headful of wet, black hair, with half of it sticking to the side of his face.

"I love it already," Tyler quipped. "I wonder what it'll look like when it's dry."

"Well, I can think of one way we could find out." Josh took the towel and wrapped it up around his head. "Let's go up to the bathroom so we can blow dry it."

Tyler didn't waste any time in grabbing Josh's hand and pulling him out of the kitchen. "I'll be sure to touch your hair with my actual hands this time," he teased.

"You know I can't say no to that!"

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

"So are you gonna keep me waiting in suspense or are you gonna show me how Josh's hair turned out?"

Tyler shook his head, smiling a little. "Oh, hold your horses, Fynnley."

Fifteen minutes later, Josh's hair was all dry and now the only thing left to do was to show Fynnley (who was being quite impatient for some reason) the end result.

"Come on out, J!"

A moment or two passed before Josh appeared in the doorway to the bathroom, a huge smile on his face. "Tah-dah!"

The faded yellow was now a thing of the past, replaced with a rich, black color. It was fascinating to see such a different shade in his hair, but it was also quite the welcome change from the previous color that had long lost its vibrant hue.

"Hey, looking good, Dun!" Fynnley gave him his official thumbs-up. "Tyler did a great job."

"Yeah, he really did." Josh gave Tyler a sweet smile. "But then again… I knew he would."

Tyler couldn't fight the dark blush that appeared on his cheeks. "T-Thank you, Joshua…"

Josh came over and kissed him on the cheek. "Of course, darling."

Fynnley rolled his eyes a little. "Oh, you guys are gonna make me sick."

"Aw, come on, don't be jealous, Fynn," Tyler said. "I know for a fact that you and Oliver are like this all the time."

The blonde crossed his arms. "Yes, but we're home by ourselves too."

Josh made a 'hmm' sound. "Well, we may not be by ourselves… but we are home!"

He shook his head, sighing. "Sure you are."

Tyler and Josh exchanged looks with each other, both of them sensing a genuine air of frustration from Fynn, which was unusual. They were just messing with their friend, after all, but maybe he interpreted everything much more differently.

"We're sorry, Fynnley," Tyler apologized.

"Yeah, we didn't mean to upset you," Josh added.

Fynn shook his head. "No, you didn't upset me. I just…" He quickly trailed off again. "I'm being weird, sorry."

Josh worried at his bottom lip for a moment. "You're fine, Fynn. Tell you what, how about you head on home? You've already done most of the big stuff for the day. Go home and kiss that Keeper of yours."

"Yeah, he probably really needs one right now... thanks, guys."

Tyler gave Fynn a small smile. "We'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll be here."

After Fynnley left, Josh and Tyler took the opportunity to sit down on the bed and talk about what was on their mind.

"Joshua?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I'm worried about Fynn and Oli."

The older man nodded. "Aw, I know. But Fynnley and Oliver are an amazing, strong couple; they'll get through this together."

"You think so?"

"Of course I do." Josh smiled as he leaned over and kissed Tyler on the cheek. "How could they not? They have an amazing friend named Tyler as a good example."

Tyler scrunched his eyes closed, the tiniest of a giggle leaving his lips. "Th-that's so sweet of you, Jishwa…"

"Just speaking the truth." Josh smiled as he watched his precious Keeper start to blush. "You're so adorable."

"So are you." Tyler reached for Josh's hand, squeezing it lightly. "I love you."

"And I love you, sweet boy."

"Your hair really does look amazing, by the way," Tyler said.

"Hmm, all thanks to the handiwork of a certain someone," Josh replied, smiling away. "Thank you again, sweetheart."

"Of course." Tyler pecked a kiss onto Josh's lips. "Anything to make you feel good about yourself."

Josh brushed his hand across Tyler's cheek. "You make me feel so handsome, my love."

Tyler giggled at the physical contact. "I think we're getting way too sappy, Joshua."

"Can't help it." Josh smiled. "As long as I can keep you blushing, I'm satisfied."

He smiled back. "Fair enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.**
> 
> **What would you like to see more of in "My Pretty Keeper"?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones. 'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone."**

_Oliver: hey Ty-Ty, are you busy right now?_

Another Wednesday afternoon and Tyler was spending it under the covers, trying his best to stay warm as he wrote away in his notebook. It wasn't particularly cold outside, but his Time Keeper was having one of those 'needy hoe days,' as Annaliese so lovingly called them, so of course, his body had decided to throw a fit.

Getting a text message from his precious friend certainly put a smile on his face, though.

**Tyler: m'just writing. what's up? ♡**

_Oliver: I think I wanna get out the apartment…_

**Tyler: you should have came over today with fynn. last time I looked, he was downstairs cleaning out a closet lol. if you were here we could have watched movies together or something.**

_Oliver: I know, I just…_

_it's hard for me to explain right now_

**Tyler: is there anything I can do to help?**

_Oliver: go for a walk with me in the park?_

**Tyler: eww walking.**

_Oliver: :(_

**Tyler: i'm just kidding oli!**

_Oliver: i'll come pick you up?_

**Tyler: alright deal. (:**

_Oliver: can you be ready in 20 min?_

**Tyler: mhm I'll text josh and then go tell fynn you're coming to get me**

_Oliver: thank you for this Tyler, love you_

**Tyler: of course oliver, love you too <3**

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

In less than an hour, Oliver had picked up Tyler, drove to the younger boy's favorite park and then led his friend over to one of the lesser-traveled paths so they could have a little bit of privacy while they walked and talked.

For now, though, only the sound of their footsteps surrounded them as they walked down the concrete pathway. Not many words had been exchanged between the two ever since Tyler got into Oliver's car. He had tried to start a few conversations since then, but all of them quickly fizzled out with the older boy's short responses.

He seemed... sad. And as much as Tyler wanted to just ask what was bothering him, he knew Oliver well enough that, eventually, the blue-eyed boy would open up about whatever was bothering him. It would just take some time.

“It's a lot warmer out here,” Tyler stated, trying again to start a conversation. He was still a little cold, but definitely not as cold as he had been at home. “It feels good.”

Oliver placed a hand on the side of Tyler's arm, raising an eyebrow when he felt how chilled his skin was. “You aren't getting sick, are you?”

“No, my Time Keeper just... has a mind of its own.” Tyler laughed a little. “I've been missing my J. He's been working a lot at the office and it's hard sometimes being away from him all day. I try not to complain, though, because I know work is running him ragged and there's not much he can do about it.”

“I'm sorry, Ty. That must be hard for you to deal with.”

“It can be. Do you ever feel that way with Fynn? You've been staying home more while he's at work. Or are you just glad to have some peace and quiet?" He stuck his tongue out at Oliver.

Oliver chuckled, though it sounded more flat than anything. "Well, it's a bit more complicated than that."

Tyler frowned a little. "Oh… is everything okay?"

"Fynn and I haven't been doing too well over the last week and a half."

Tyler stopped walking, and so did the older boy. "Oli…"

"W-We aren't fighting or anything," Oliver put in, eyes cast downwards. "It has to do with me. I'm… I'm messing up."

"Oli, I'm sure you're not messing up," Tyler said, his hand going to rest on the side of Oliver's arm.

"I-I am." Oliver's voice started to wobble. "It's b-bad, Ty."

"You can tell me what's going on." Tyler's voice was soft and kind. "I'm here to listen. I promise."

"Can we sit down?" Oliver pointed over to a nearby park bench, to which Tyler nodded and took the older boy's hand.

It took only a moment for them to sit down, their hands still intertwined. Tyler gave it a gentle squeeze, a compassionate look on his face. "Take your time, Oli."

Oliver took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Ty?"

"Yes, Oli?"

"I'm scared."

"What are you scared of?"

"L-Letting you know that I'm not alright."

There was a brief pause, before Tyler let out a strained sigh, unsure of how to express his deep concern for his dear friend. "Oliver, even if you tell me you're not alright, that won't change how much I love you. That'll _always_ stay the same."

Oliver closed his eyes, teeth digging into his bottom lip as he tried to bite back his emotions. "T-Thank you so much, Tyler." His free hand clawed at the fabric on his jeans, the anxiety evident inside of his bones. "I have a secret."

Tyler's thumb brushed over the curve of Oliver's knuckle. "Can you tell me?" he asked softly. "It's safe with me."

One tear fell down Oliver's cheek before another quickly followed. Shaky fingers slipped underneath the sleeve of his hoodie, tempting fate on whether to move it and risk losing everything he loved all at once.

"I thought it was over…"

And that was all Oliver said as he finally tugged his sleeve up.

Tyler gasped.

"Sometimes, I feel like Nico almost… beat it into me. You remember what he did to us -- if we didn't make more cuts into our Time Keeper symbol between the times that they came to drag us away for _**X**_ , he would do it himself."

"I… I remember." Tyler's heart was pulling so hard that he feared it might break right in half. "I had no clue that you were still struggling with it, Oli… I'm so sorry…"

Oliver shook his head. "It's not your fault, Tyler. It didn't start up again until a few weeks ago and it only happens when the trauma decides to… rear its ugly head, I guess. It's turned into nothing but a vicious coping mechanism for me."

"I can't even imagine some of the things that you went through in Dema." Tyler wiped away the tears pooling in his eyelids, trying his best to keep it together for his dear friend. "Does Fynn know?"

"No. Only you." Oliver looked down and sighed. "That's why we haven't been doing well… because I keep messing up and relapsing. But he doesn't know that. All he knows is that I constantly make excuses as to why I can't take my clothes off around him or have sex with him. And I know he's trying his best to be patient with me, but I'm running out of excuses and whenever he asks me about what's going on, I just completely shut down. We had another dumb fight last night and he said 'I feel like you're pushing me away and I don't know why.'" By this point, Oliver was crying again. "That hurts me so much, Tyler, because he's my _Protector_ and I'm making him feel like I don't want him, when that's miles away from the truth. I need to tell him. But I'm too scared. What if he hates me?"

Tyler reached up to Oliver's face, wiping away his tears as they fell. "Oh, Oli… he's not going to hate you. You're his Keeper and he loves you so much."

"I feel so weak right now, though… and I don't want him to see me as a weak person."

"You should feel _strong_. What you just did, telling me your secret, took a lot of courage and bravery. And honestly, you're one of the bravest people that I know, Oliver."

Oliver looked surprised at that. "You really mean it?"

"Of course I do. I look up to you, Oli."

He sniffled a little. "T-Thank you… I look up to you too, Tyler."

"Thank you." Tyler squeezed his hand. "I'm so proud of you, Oliver. I know you can do whatever you put your mind to."

Oliver knew that Tyler was referring to finally coming clean to Fynnley about the self-harm. But oh, how fragile it all seemed… and how was he supposed to piece himself back together without losing the most important parts in the process?

"But what if he gets mad at me?"

"He won't do that. But if he does for some reason, then Josh and I will come over and kick his butt. I promise."

Oliver couldn't help but giggle a little at that. "You're silly, Ty."

"I mean it." Tyler leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You're important to me, okay?"

He smiled, the first real one Tyler had seen since they had been together. "You're important to me too, Ty." He sighed a little. "They just… make me feel so ugly."

"You're not ugly." Tyler's voice was soft and gentle. "You're such a beautiful person, Oli. The skin on your arms doesn't determine your self-worth."

"Thank you, Tyler… I just want to be clean."

"I know you do. And I have faith in you that you can be."

"You do?"

Tyler nodded, his thumb stroking the side of Oliver's hand. "You're so strong, Oli. And I'm still so proud of you. Fynn's gonna be proud of you too when you open up to him."

He tightened his grip on Tyler's hand. "I… I want to. I hate making him feel like he's doing something wrong and that's why I don't want to make love with him. But it feels impossible to just come out and say: 'I don't want to have sex because I don't want you to see my body and be disgusted.' That would break my heart, Tyler." A few more tears fell down his face, which the younger of the two quickly wiped away. "I feel like such an awful Keeper."

"You're not an awful Keeper at all. Fynnley loves you for who you are. He wanted you before and he'll want you still. And I promise you, your body is not disgusting."

"Thank you, Tyler." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "There's been so much tension between him and I lately… and I just want things to go back to normal. We were doing so well and then I had to go and… screw everything up."

"Hey. You didn't screw everything up. You should have heard what Fynnley said when I told him you were coming to get me."

"What… what did he say?"

"He said, 'I wish I could go walking with you guys, I miss my baby boy.'"

"Wow…"

Tyler gave him a sweet smile. "That doesn't sound 'screwed up' to me."

"I guess I could have came in and said hi. But we got into it a little bit this morning; he asked me if I wanted to get in the shower with him, I guess trying to make up for last night, and I said 'no' and blew things completely out of proportion." Oliver sighed. "Am I an awful person, Ty?"

"No, you're not. You're an amazing person. You're just going through a really tough time right now. And I know he loves you. He loves you a lot and he doesn't want to lose you again."

There was a minute or two of silence, nothing but the ambient noises of the park in the air, before Oliver spoke up again.

"I think I want to tell him tonight. I need to." His voice was shaky, but the grip he had on Tyler remained firm. "I'm gonna be so scared, but… he needs to know what's going on."

"You're gonna do amazing, Oli. I believe in you."

Oliver held Tyler's hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "All thanks to my amazing, beautiful best friend. Thank you for not giving up on me, Ty-Guy."

Tyler couldn't help but blush at his friend's action. "Thank you for not giving up on yourself."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

Later on that night, Tyler was snuggling with Josh in front of the TV when he got a text message.

It was a picture message from Oliver. The picture was of his and Fynnley's fingers intertwined and in the top part of the frame, he could see Oliver's cuts and scars, no longer covered up by a long-sleeve shirt or a hoodie.

Tyler smiled at the caption that Oliver sent with it.

_He kissed my scars and told me I'm beautiful ♡_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.**
> 
> **On a scale of 1-10, how much do you hate Nico right now? :)**
> 
> **Bonus question: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"Honey, I hate my body. I hate the silence that comes when you're not around."**

"I think Netflix should give us our own cooking show."

As Tyler finished setting the table, he couldn't help but smile at Josh's words. He turned around, eyeing the back of his Protector as he stood in front of the stove, stirring the potful of soup. "What would we call it?"

Josh grinned. "Two Spicy Boys."

Tyler laughed. "Jish, you're silly." Content with how the set-up looked, he picked up the lighter from off the table and flicked it on so he could light the candles. "What do you think so far?"

"I think it looks great." Josh motioned for him to come over. "Taste the soup and tell me what you think."

He opened his mouth and Josh slipped just a little bit of the spoon inside for him to taste. He smacked his lips a little, just to make his Protector smile. "It's delicious. You're such a good cook, Joshua."

"I'd have to say the same about you." Josh leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Don't think I forgot about that amazing fish you made."

Tyler blushed. "That was a fluke…"

"No way." Josh kissed his forehead. "You have a gift, baby."

"T-Thank you." If there was one thing that got him everytime, it was when Josh praised him. "You're so sweet to me, J."

"I appreciate it, darling, but I think you're the real sweetheart." He smiled. "So nice of you to come up with this idea for Fynnley and Oliver."

It had been four days since Oliver had opened up to Tyler about his self-harm struggles and ever since then, the younger boy had been racking his brain to try and figure out what he could do to try and cheer his friend up, even if just for a little while.

Then yesterday, Tyler came to Josh and told him about his "master plan" of inviting Fynn and Oliver over to stay the night and then surprising them with their very own dinner date.

So that led to tonight, as the boys put the finishing touches on their dinner for two.

"I really hope they like it." Tyler adjusted the silverware on the table for the third time in a row before turning to look at Josh. "What do you think?"

"Looks great." Josh opened the oven door and peeked inside at the rolls to see if they were ready yet. "I think we make a pretty good cooking team, baby boy."

Tyler smiled. "Well, I love doing stuff together with you."

Josh smiled back. "Me too."

Tyler came over to where Josh was and kissed him on the cheek. "Your soup really does smell amazing."

"Aww, thank you, sweetheart." Josh opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. "I think our guests of honor have arrived."

"I'll get it!"

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

"Can we open our eyes yet?"

Tyler smiled at Fynnley's question as he led them both by the hand into the kitchen. "In a minute," he replied. "Just be patient."

"Patience isn't Fynn's strong suit," Oliver said, a coy smile playing at his lips.

"I can be patient," Fynn retorted, the smallest of a pout on his face. "Just not now."

Tyler giggled. "You guys are silly." He turned around and his eyes met with Josh's, who, by the looks of it, had everything ready to go. "Okay, on the count of three, you can open your eyes. One… two… three!"

Both of them gasped, Oliver's hand going up to his mouth.

"Surprise!" Josh and Tyler said at the same time.

"Oh, my gosh, this is gorgeous!" Oliver said, an awestruck look on his face.

"Is this seriously all for us?" Fynnley asked.

"Every bit of it," Josh said, smiling.

Tyler wrapped his arm around Oliver's shoulder, a grin on his face. "We wanted to do something special for you guys. You deserve it."

"You know, I think this should be a celebration of _you_ ," Fynn told Oliver, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Oliver was a bit overwhelmed by all the positive attention. "Why me?"

"Well, one, just for being you. But most importantly, you've been clean for three days now. That's an accomplishment and I'm so proud of you, baby." Fynnley leaned over and pressed a sweet kiss to Oliver's lips.

"Oh, that's so great!" Tyler exclaimed.

Josh smiled. "Good for you, Oli!"

The beginnings of a blush made its way onto Oliver's cheeks. "Thank you so much, guys."

"Yeah, we're proud of you," Josh said. "We just want you two to enjoy each other."

"Well, everything smells delicious," Oliver said. "I can't wait to taste it."

"But wait, what are you guys gonna eat?" Fynn asked.

"We already made ourselves some bowls to take upstairs," Tyler answered. "Maybe next time we can have a double date together."

"That would be awesome!" Oliver replied.

Tyler couldn't help but feel pleased over how everything turned out. It was wonderful to see such a big smile on Oliver's face. All their hard work had seemed to pay off twofold.

"Well, soup's not gonna eat itself." Josh smiled. "Go ahead and sit down and I'll serve you guys. Ty, you can go ahead and take ours upstairs, if you want."

"Okay, J." Tyler leaned over and kissed Josh on the cheek before busying himself with what he had to do.

 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *

It was later on that night, just after midnight, that Tyler found himself creeping around downstairs for snacks.

Dinner had went off without a hitch, and by the time Tyler and Josh returned to the kitchen, Oliver and Fynnley had the most hopelessly-in-love expressions on their faces.

And after some more wine and two movies, everyone was thoroughly relaxed and ready to retire to their rooms. That is, of course, until Tyler had the idea to sneak downstairs.

Bag of chips and a can of soda for Josh in hand, Tyler turned off the kitchen light and found his way through the living room and over to the staircase.

Reaching the top of the steps, he stopped in his tracks when a noise pricked his ears.

Tyler looked at the guest bedroom door, which still had the light on underneath, and his cheeks reddened when he heard a soft moan.

"Oh, Fynn…"

_Definitely hadn't been what Tyler was expecting to hear when he came back upstairs..._

Clutching his stuff against his chest, he hurried down the hallway before opening the door to his and Josh's room. He locked eyes with his Protector as he closed the door behind him, a bewildered look on his face.

"What's wrong, Tyler?" Josh put his phone down so he could focus on his Keeper.

"Um… I think your soup put Fynn and Oli in the mood."

Josh burst into laughter at Tyler's words. "And what makes you think that?"

"I… I think they're getting up to some mischief in there." Tyler looked down at his feet, a shy look on his face. "It's embarrassing."

He gave him a sympathetic look. "Aw, I'm sorry, baby."

"In a way, I'm kinda happy for them because Oliver had told me how scared he was of being intimate because of his self-harm, but it looks like he's starting to overcome that now. I'm really proud of him."

"Good for him." Josh smiled as he got off the bed and walked over to Tyler, taking the soda out of his hand and kissing him on the forehead. "Both of you have overcame so much when it comes to intimacy. You don't have to be embarrassed, though, sweetheart. It's natural."

"Yeah, but they're in my old bed…"

The older man chuckled. "Guess we'll have to burn the mattress then, huh?"

Tyler giggled. "No, just the sheets."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to have Fynn strip the bed and wash everything tomorrow."

"I don't really care too much about that part, honestly." Tyler let Josh take his hand and lead him back over to the bed. "I guess I'm just embarrassed, like you said."

Josh gave him an understanding nod. "That's totally okay." Once they were both sat on the bed, he leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Thank you for going downstairs and getting me a soda, baby boy."

"No problem." Tyler gave him a small smile before placing his bag of chips down on the end table. Suddenly, he wasn't as hungry as he had been before.

By this time, Josh had turned Netflix on and a movie was playing in the background. Sipping on his soda, he was a bit surprised when Tyler scooted up next to him, their bodies pulled flush with each other.

Josh leaned over a little. "Hey, you."

"Hi," Tyler said, his voice barely above a whisper. He lifted Josh's arm up and ducked his head underneath, leaning the upper half of his body against his bare chest, enjoying the heat that came off from his lover's skin. "You're so warm, J."

"I'm even warmer now that I'm holding you." Josh smiled as he wrapped his arm even tighter around Tyler. A pleasant feeling washed over his skin as he inhaled Tyler's familiar scent, his heartbeat speeding up at the position they found themselves in. "Doing okay?"

"Y-Yes…"

Josh put down his soda and used his free hand to reach over and thread his fingers through soft brown hair. Said boy had his eyes closed, a look of contentment mixed with a hint of ambiguity painted across his facial features.

It was a look that had the potential for a lot of different things, but it wasn't until Josh heard a soft whine that he knew exactly what was going on.

His precious baby boy... was soft.

"Hey…" Josh pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You sure you're doing okay?"

Tyler just nodded, any words he had in mind slipping from his tongue.

"Well… you know, I think a certain baby boy got a little too embarrassed and is feeling soft now. What do you think?"

There was a pause for a few moments before Tyler nodded again, this time a bit more eagerly, as he giggled.

"Cutie." Josh slipped his hand underneath the hem of Tyler's shirt so it could rest on his side. "Is this okay?"

"Mhm." Tyler moved his hand so it could rest on top of Josh's. "I love you, Joshua." His voice came out quiet but sweet.

"I love you too, darling. What are you thinking about?"

"You, mostly." Tyler let his fingertips dance across Josh's knuckles. "How you're so good to me."

Josh kissed his cheek. "Tell me more, baby boy."

Tyler ducked his face into the side of Josh's chest. "S'much to say… I don't know where to start." He laughed softly before continuing. "You're so kind to me and you always shower me with affection. You give me everything I could possibly need and there's just _so_ much to love about you, Joshua."

"Aww…" Josh let his hand rub up and down Tyler's skin. "You're so sweet, Ty. There's so much to say about _you_ too. You're so considerate and you're always looking for ways to help out. You make me laugh. You still have a bit of an innocent side to you, but that doesn't change how affectionate you are. You're just my adorable baby boy."

By the time Josh finished talking, Tyler had the darkest blush on his face. "J-Josh… you're gonna make me cry."

"No, don't cry." Josh pressed kiss after kiss to his cheek, making him giggle away. "You're so so-o-ft," he sung out.

Tyler closed his eyes and smiled. "Tonight's been so lovely. Fynn and Oli were the ones on the date, but our dinner felt just like one too." He turned his head so he could kiss the top of Josh's shoulder. "I really loved your soup, J."

"I enjoyed tonight too, love. And thank you. I couldn't have made it without you." Josh smiled. "See, always so helpful."

"Oh, shush." Tyler giggled again.

"So giggly." Josh chuckled. "You're my little giggly princess."

Tyler made a soft noise in response. "I'm your princess?"

"You sure are. I've only called you that a few times, but you seemed to like it." Josh laughed.

He smiled. "I do. It's sweet."

"Just like you." Josh turned his body so they faced each other directly, his hands moving to rest on the sides of Tyler's neck. "Can I kiss you, princess?"

Tyler nodded slowly and with one movement, Josh's lips were on his. It was a gentle kiss, but it made his head feel dizzy all the same. His hands tangled themselves up into black, curly strands as they kissed, never wanting to let go.

When Josh pulled away, Tyler had a deliriously happy smile on his face. "You're so lovely," he breathed out.

"No, you." Josh grinned. "Thank you, baby." He felt his heart pull a little when he noticed Tyler's thumb brushing over the curve of his lips. "Do you want your pacifier, hun?"

Biting down on the tip of his thumb, he nodded.

"I think it's sitting behind your bag of chips."

Tyler turned his head and, sure enough, there it was. He picked up the bag before turning back to look at Josh. "You want some?" he asked softly.

"Sure, babe." He accepted the bag from Tyler, smiling a little as he watched his Keeper slip his pacifier into his mouth. "Better?"

"Mhm." Tyler leaned his head back to rest on Josh, eyes lulling a little as he stared ahead at the TV screen.

Josh pulled him closer before laying his other hand across the younger boy's tummy. "I love you, sweetness."

And as Tyler laid there listening to his Protector eat chips, his head spinning a little due to feeling impossibly soft, he knew that he really wouldn't have it any other way.

Josh was truly everything he could ever want… and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> What is your favorite pet name that Josh has for Tyler? (Ty, Ty-Guy, Ty-Ty, baby, baby boy, baby doll, babe, sweetheart, sweetness, sweet boy, darling, love, hun, princess, and any other one I forgot)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"You and I were once friends, now you're only an acquaintance."**

"If you scratch my back, I'll shampoo your hair for you."

Tyler couldn't help but laugh at his Protector's odd request. Certainly wasn't the first thing he had anticipated Josh saying in the shower...

"Scratch your own back," Tyler said teasingly, stepping out of the stream so he could look at Josh more clearly.

" _Please_ ," the older man whined, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. "Your nails are perfect for scratching and it always feels amazing whenever you do it."

"Hmm… well, I guess I _could_ use a good "Josh Dun Shampoo" right now..." Tyler smiled.

"It's the best around!"

Tyler broke out into a fit of giggles. "You've always loved my nails."

"Mhm." Josh leaned over and kissed his Keeper on the cheek. "You don't know how disappointed I was when the scratch marks on my back from our first time faded away."

He blushed. "We'll have to make some more then," he said shyly.

"Ooh, la la." Josh grinned before placing a quick kiss on Tyler's lips. "I'm really gonna miss you, sweet boy."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Joshua."

In less than an hour, Fynnley and Tyler were taking Josh to the airport. The time had come for SRN Corporations to have their company gala, all in honor of their soon-to-be-ex CEO. It also meant that in less than 24 hours time, the CEO would be announcing who would be taking over his coveted position.

So, that meant another business trip to Los Angeles for Josh...

"You sure I can't come with you?" Tyler pouted a little.

"Aww, I wish you could, baby doll, but like I said before, the gala isn't allowing any guests to attend. And besides that, I'll just be working all day leading up to it and then I have a bunch of meetings to go to the following day as well. So I wouldn't have much time." Josh reached over and placed a comforting hand on the side of Tyler's arm. "I'd feel much better knowing you're here with Fynnley and Oliver."

Tyler sighed. He understood where Josh was coming from, but he was still gonna miss him _so_ much. "Can we still text?"

"Of course, baby." Josh turned around so Tyler could start scratching his back. "I'll text you as much as I can. Especially during any slow or free time that I have, okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

When Tyler finished scratching Josh's back, he draped his arms over Josh's shoulders. "How am I gonna get by without all my nightly kisses?"

"Hmm… I'll give you lots of kisses through the phone." Josh leaned over and kissed Tyler, just because he could. "How does that sound?"

Tyler smiled. "Sounds good. I'm still gonna miss it, though."

"Aw, I know, love. The bed's gonna feel so cold without you next to me." Josh reached for the bottle of shampoo. "Wanna turn around for me?"

"Mhm." Tyler slipped his arms off Josh and turned around so his back was facing him. "Thank you, Josh."

"No, thank _you_." Josh kissed the tip of Tyler's ear, making said boy giggle and squirm around a little, before he poured some shampoo into the palm of his hand and went to work in his lover's hair. "Are you looking forward to spending time with Oli for a few days? Your little partner-in-crime." He smiled.

"I am." Tyler smiled a little at the thought of his precious Oli. "Can I cuddle with him if I get lonely?"

"Of course, baby boy." Josh couldn't help but smile at the way Tyler leaned back into his touch. "Just no funny business between you two, okay?"

Tyler giggled. "You're silly, Joshua."

"Hey, I'm just saying."

"Only you, okay?" Tyler turned his head a little so he could look in Josh's eyes. "Always."

Josh leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

Tyler smiled. "I love you too, Jish."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *****

As the sign for the airport came into view on the highway, Tyler felt his heart pull a little, realizing that in just a few minutes, he would be losing his J to California for a few days.

He had to be strong, though. He couldn't break down in front of his Protector over something so seemingly insignificant.

"Well, at least traffic wasn't horrible," he heard Fynnley say from the front seat.

 _This is no different from when Josh is working during the day and you have to leave him be,_ Tyler told himself. _He's just across the country. That's all._

Somehow, though, his little pep talk didn't succeed much in making him feel any better about everything.

_**Put on a brave face. Don't be a coward.** _

Leave it to his other internal voice to tell him, quite unsympathetically, what to do. He knew it was right, though.

By this time, they were pulling into the terminal drop-off area. It was still familiar from the time Tyler went with Josh to California, in addition to when the airport shuttle picked them up from long-term parking and dropped them off in there right before the trio's flight to Ukraine.

Fynnley pulled the car over in the spot where he needed to be and put it in Park. "And we are here, my friends."

Tyler followed Fynnley and Josh as they got out of the car, the blonde helping his friend with his suitcase.

After he got it out of the trunk, Fynnley clapped a hand on Josh's back as he gave him a hug. "Have a safe flight, bro."

Josh smiled. "Thanks, Fynn. Watch over Tyler for me, yeah?"

"I'll do my best!" Fynnley grinned.

Josh turned his attention to Tyler, his heart pulling as he gave his Keeper a smile, albeit a sad one. "I'm gonna miss my little cutie," he said as he pulled Tyler into a tight hug.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Josh," he said softly.

"Make sure you take your medicine, okay?"

Tyler nodded, squeezing Josh a little tighter as he thought about not wanting to let go. "I will."

"I'd say 'be good' but I know you will be." Josh pulled away, pleased at the tiny smile Tyler gave him in response. "I'll text you as soon as I land, okay?"

"Mmk." Tyler bit down on his bottom lip, trying to keep himself from pouting. Instead, he just grabbed Josh's hand and looked at him with his big, brown eyes, wanting to memorize how he looked in this very moment until the next time they saw each other.

Keeping himself from the hypnotic pull of his lover's eyes, Josh leaned in and gave him a long kiss. When he pulled away, he pecked a tiny kiss on the tip of Tyler's nose. "I love you so much, darling."

"I love you, Joshua." Tyler squeezed Josh's hand one more time before letting it go, knowing that his Protector had a flight to catch and they couldn't stand here in the "No Parking" zone forever.

Fynnley placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Hey, we have to get going," he said, his voice quiet.

Tyler nodded and turned back to Josh. Said man leaned over and gave him one final kiss on the cheek before backing away, waving as he did.

"Bye, love."

And with a soft 'bye' in response, Tyler and Fynnley were back in the car, the brunette's eyes glued to Josh as he waved for a few seconds more before walking away to enter the terminal.

Tyler pulled his seatbelt on as Fynnley pulled back out into the airport traffic, joining everyone heading towards the exit. As everything faded into the rearview mirror, the younger boy couldn't help but feel a little sad as he inhaled the lingering scent left behind by his precious Joshua in the front seat.

Fynnley's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Let's go see if Oli is ready to go, yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** *****

It had been a few hours since they had dropped Josh off at the airport. Now they were finally back at home, Tyler and Oliver sitting on the couch together while Fynnley worked on organizing a closet upstairs.

"Do you want to watch a movie, Ty?"

On the outside, Tyler _seemed_ okay. Yet, Oliver sensed there was something going on deep down inside that he was trying to hide. Like everything else, though, it would take some coaxing to get out.

"I guess so." Tyler's voice had been soft and distant all afternoon and now wasn't an exception.

Oliver turned on Netflix before asking the big question. "What do you want to watch?"

The two went back and forth on different titles for a few minutes, nothing sounding all that good to either of them.

"Do you think we should just turn on cable and see if there's any good movies on there?"

"I don't know." Tyler's teeth grazed over his bottom lip. "What do you think, Jo…" He turned his head and when he saw the empty spot next to him, a painful ache went down his Time Keeper as he remembered that the oh-so-vital other half of him… wasn't here.

It all started with a lip wobble. A sharp intake of breath. A searing pain that spread throughout his lungs.

And then it all fell apart.

Oliver was a bit caught off guard by everything, but it still didn't stop him from scrambling to help. He wrapped his arms around Tyler, saying things in a quiet, comforting way. "Shh, shh… let it out, hun…"

His face leaned onto Oliver's shoulder, Tyler struggled to speak through his tears. "I-I'm supposed t-to be s-strong for h-him. Now look at m-me."

"You're still strong, Ty-Ty. Believe me. Crying doesn't make you a weak person." Oliver took an arm away from Tyler so he could reach down to hold one of his hands, which were shaking. "If it makes you feel any better, you're one of the strongest people that I know."

Tyler hiccuped a little. "R-Really?"

"Really." Oliver turned his head and kissed the younger boy's forehead. "Josh isn't gone forever. He'll be home soon."

"I know. But it still hurts." By this time, Tyler was starting to calm down some, thanks to Oliver. "Knowing he's 2,000 miles away right now just brings back memories of us being separated in Dema. I didn't know when or if I would see him again and I just… I have those same feelings."

Oliver nodded. He knew _exactly_ how his friend felt, actually. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't panic a little earlier when Fynnley left to come and take Josh to the airport. I always do. It's like… whenever he's gone, it takes me back to saying goodbye for the last time and then waking up in a place where I'd probably die before I got the chance to see him again."

"I'm sorry, Oli." Tyler felt bad for Oliver, but he was also so glad that his friend could relate to his feelings.

"Don't be. You gave me that chance when you came to rescue us. And I'll be forever grateful to _and_ for you, Tyler."

Tyler felt his heart pull a little, nothing but pure love for Oliver flooding through his veins. "You're grateful for me?"

"Of course I am." Oliver let go of Tyler's hand and wiped away any residual tears left on his cheeks. "You're my little Bandito. And I adore you."

A tiny, hiccupy giggle and Tyler's hand up went to his mouth, his thumb brushing over his lips as he felt his mood slowly go from sad to just a _little_ soft. "I adore you too, Oli. You're always so sweet on me."

"Can't help it." Oliver kissed his forehead again before letting go of him. "So I have an idea for you, Ty-Ty."

"Yeah?" Tyler sniffled before Oliver handed him the box of tissues sitting on the end table. "Thank you."

While Tyler blew his nose, Oliver set in on what he had in mind. "How about I go and get your favorite fuzzy blanket for you and we can cuddle while we try to find something to watch on TV? We can take another look through the Netflix catalog if you want."

Honestly, that sounded amazing right now. Tyler thought about his question to Josh earlier that day and couldn't help but smile a little.

"I'd love that." Tyler's voice was still soft, but it now held a sense of relief and solace, something that he had desperately needed.

"Alright, I'll be back then." Oliver smiled as he got up from the couch. "Oh, I'm gonna see how Fynn's doing and talk to him for a few minutes too."

Biting down on his bottom lip, Tyler reached out for Oliver and grabbed his hand. "Oli?"

"Yes, Ty?"

"W-Would you mind getting me my galaxy paci?"

Oliver smiled. "Of course, love. I thought you might be feeling a little soft but I wasn't sure."

Tyler just smiled back, the first genuine one he had since earlier that afternoon. "Thank you, Oli."

A few minutes after Oliver disappeared upstairs, Tyler's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, his heart swelling a little when he saw who it was from.

_Josh: Sending you love, sweet boy. ♡_

**Tyler: aw jish, you're so sweet… did oliver tell you I was upset? :/**

_Josh: He did. :( But a Protector needs to know what's going on with his Keeper, so I'm glad he did. How are you feeling now?_

**Tyler: better. oli helped me a lot ♡ I still miss you so much though**

_Josh: I miss you too, baby. ♡ I'm glad Oliver helped you, though. It makes me sad that you were sad._

**Tyler: well if it makes you feel any better m'feeling kinda soft now…**

_Josh: Oh really? Are you wanting your paci?_

**Tyler: mhm oli is getting it for me. he's getting my fuzzy blanket too, we're gonna cuddle and try to watch a movie.**

_Josh: I'm jealous. :P See, I knew there was a reason you asked if you could cuddle with him! Haha._

**Tyler: aw silly jish. I wish you were here.**

_Josh: Me too, babe. I'm not doing anything interesting here. I'm already thinking about dinner because my stomach's still on Eastern Time. But it's nowhere near that time here yet, unfortunately. :(_

**Tyler: aw no :( well I can try and make time go faster for you! hehe**

_Josh: Very sweet of you, angel, but I think I'll be okay. ♡_

**Tyler: okay! are you resting now?**

_Josh: Kinda, I'm sitting here on my laptop, doing some work. But make sure you get some rest, ok?_

**Tyler: I will!**

_Josh: Oh, one more thing… are you being good? ;)_

**Tyler: always good for you, J ♡ promise**

_Josh: Good. :) Well, baby boy, I'll text you later on before you go to bed, okay?_

**Tyler: okay jishwa, i'll be here! don't work too hard**

_Josh: I'll try not to haha._

_I love you so much, Tyler. ♡ Stay strong, ok?_

**Tyler: I will for you. I love you too, joshua. ♡**

As Tyler shoved his phone back into his pocket, he heard Oliver come back down the steps and within a few moments, he re-appeared in the living room, blanket and galaxy pacifier in hand.

"I'm ba-a-ck," Oliver said in a sing-song voice. He handed Tyler his pacifier before setting the blanket down.

"How's Fynn?"

"He's Fynn." Oliver smiled at the thought of his Protector. "Alright, so how should we do this?"

"We could spoon, but you got a crick in your neck last time." Tyler giggled.

"Yeah, the position was fun, but the pain wasn't." Oliver chuckled. "You could lay on me if you want."

Tyler's face lit up. "That sounds great."

It took some manuevering around, but after a minute or two, the blanket covered the both of them as Tyler laid his upper body across Oliver's chest, his head turned towards the TV. It wasn't uncomfortable at all, though, since Tyler was still light as a feather.

Everything felt a bit delicate; the way Oliver rubbed tiny, reassuring circles into his back as he flipped through the Netflix listing and the way Tyler's heartbeat sped up a little while listening to his friend's own heartbeat reverberate throughout his ribcage.

Finally, after some more back and forth, they decided on a movie. By the time it started, Tyler was feeling relaxed. He had talked to his Protector and now he was cuddling with his closest friend.

What could possibly ruin this moment?

"Hey, Ty… would you hate me if I said I had to get up and pee?"

"Oliiiiii…"

"I'm just kidding!" Oliver laughed before leaning up and kissing Tyler on the forehead. "I wanted to see what your reaction would be, since we're all snug and cozy right now."

"Yeah, you're so warm." Tyler closed his eyes and smiled.

"I think it's one of my redeeming qualities." Oliver chuckled.

"One of many." Tyler giggled.

After a few minutes, he realized that his pacifier was still sitting on the coffee table after he had moved it there during all their manuevering around.

He reached out for it and picked it up before turning his head to look at Oliver, who quickly caught his eye. "Is it okay if I put my pacifier in?"

"Of course it is, Ty-Ty." Oliver gave him a warm smile. "You don't have to ask me."

Tyler smiled back at him before reaching up to his face and slipping it past his lips. As always, it was an indescribable source of comfort to him, something that only he could understand when he was feeling like this.

"Feel better?"

He looked up at Oliver again, brown eyes just as wide, and nodded. By the time he laid his head back down on his friend's chest, his eyes were lidded, but he was determined to stay awake for the movie.

If there was one thing he had taken away from their earlier discussion, it was that time was precious, especially when spent with those that were fortunate enough to be alive after going through such traumatic circumstances.

And that… was a beautiful thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **What has been your favorite part of "My Pretty Keeper" so far?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **"All through the night, I'll be awake and I'll be with you."**

The next evening brought a thunderstorm and an exceptionally sleepy Tyler, laid in bed with nothing but underwear and his floral kimono on his body.

Normally, he'd only wear it for Josh (because, to be honest, he loved it when his Protector told him how beautiful he looked) but tonight was a soft night, just like the fabric draped off of him.

It had been a busier than normal day for Tyler. He and Oliver had helped Fynnley with a few projects around the house and then went with him to the grocery store to get some things. And to top everything off, Tyler had decided to help Fynnley make dinner and it turned out well, if everyone's empty plates were any indicator.

And after some TV and conversation with his friends, he had retired to his room around 10:30 or so. Knowing Fynnley and Oliver, they were probably somewhere making out right now but Tyler had too many other things on his mind to worry too much about their shenanigans.

Soft music playing in the background, Tyler sighed a little as he stared at his phone next to him on the bed. _Maybe if he stared long enough, it would make Josh call him faster._

The two had been texting on-and-off all evening, Josh giving his occasional commentary about the gala and how pointless it all was, but Tyler hadn't heard anything from him in a while.

 _You just have to be patient,_ Tyler told himself.

He also knew that after all was said and done, there was just one more day left before he'd be reunited with the love of his life. He just had to hold on for a _little_ longer.

Feeling a bit dizzy from all the thoughts whirling around inside his head, Tyler sat up, sighing again as his fingers absent-mindedly scratched at his Time Keeper symbol.

_Still so scarred but getting better by the day._

Oliver had done such a good job doting on him and expressing as much affection as he could, just to keep his Time Keeper somewhat placated for the time being… but it knew.

It always knew.

Before he could stop, Tyler's hand was sliding across Josh's pillow, wishing that it was running through his curly black hair instead.

A knock on the door took him out of his thoughts. "Yes?"

The door opened a little bit and in poked Oliver's head. "Hey, Ty-Ty." He smiled at Tyler. "You doing okay? Fynn and I are about to head to our room for the night, so I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm okay. Just waiting to hear from Josh." Tyler turned to look at his phone again, just in case.

"Aw, I'm sure you'll hear from him soon. It's after 11:30 here, which means it's 8:30 in California. It may be after midnight when he calls you, though."

"I don't mind waiting for him," Tyler said. "I'm not too tired right now, anyway."

"Well, I am." Oliver yawned. "C'mere, give me a hug." He walked over to the bed and leaned across to take the younger boy into his arms. "Love you lots, Tyler."

"Love you too, Oli," Tyler said softly as he scooted closer. "Thank you for being you."

"Aww. Thank you for being so lovable."

Just as Oliver was leaning down to kiss his cheek, Tyler held his head up to look into his friend's eyes, and it ended up with Oliver accidentally kissing the edge of his mouth instead.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Oliver looked absolutely mortified by what had just happened. "I didn't mean to do that."

Tyler's entire face was red. Still, he didn't look particularly upset. "S'okay... I-I don't mind."

Oliver's facial expression relaxed a little once he realized Tyler wasn't going to hate him for what happened. "Um…" he looked down, biting his bottom lip. "I hope you sleep well, Ty-Ty."

"You too, Oli."

After the two said their 'good nights', Tyler was left by himself again. He felt a little bad over the fact that Oliver was probably tangled up in a mess of awkward feelings right now, but as he told his dear friend before… he didn't mind.

In all honesty, it made his heart flutter in a way that only he could describe. It was… special.

Tyler was taken out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone buzzing. He stretched across the bed to grab it, face lighting up when he saw the Caller ID.

 _Josh_.

"Hello?"

"Hey, pretty baby."

"Joshua." Tyler's voice came out breathless and excited, the biggest smile on his face. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, love." Tyler could hear the smile in Josh's voice. "How are you doing?"

"Doing okay." He shifted around in bed so that he was laying down again. "Just waiting for you."

"Oh, I'm sorry to keep you waiting, darling. I just got back to the hotel about ten minutes ago."

"It's no problem." Tyler smiled. "I'm just glad to hear your voice."

There were a few seconds of silence before Josh let out a long sigh. "God, baby boy, what a night…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Of course." Josh cleared his throat before continuing. "So let me be the first to say that it felt incredibly awkward being there. People in my company are _so_ weird; everyone was drinking and acting dumb."

"Alcohol and company events never go together, huh?"

"Not at all. But I guess in actuality, maybe I'm just stalling…" Josh chuckled dryly.

"Whenever you're ready, Joshua," Tyler said softly.

Josh sighed again. "You're a smart guy, Tyler, so I'm pretty sure you know what I'm about to tell you."

Tyler felt a deep pit form in his stomach. "Oh, no…"

"Mr. Bill Dun is now the official CEO of SRN Corporations."

"I can't believe it…" Tyler just shook his head, absolutely amazed by what he had just heard.

"Neither can I. Believe me, Tyler, when I say that I felt like throwing up right where I stood when they announced it. Just seeing him up on the stage with everyone else... it was unfair."

"You should have set the stage on fire."

Josh knew that Tyler was kidding, but at this point… was he really?

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to spend the rest of the night locked up in some LA jail. And I'm sure you don't want a jailbird Protector either."

"Arson with a purpose." Tyler chuckled a little before biting down on his bottom lip. "I can't imagine how this must feel for you. I mean, it's your _dad_. I'm sorry, Josh."

"Thank you, Tyler, but I'd have to say the same thing for you. He and Gabriel put you through hell. I don't want to be in the same room with either of them, because I can't guarantee I can keep my emotions under control, knowing what they did to you."

"Oh, I bet Gabriel is having a field day with this. He always loved it when he got his way, even if it was at the expense of someone else…" Tyler's voice turned more distant towards the end as familiar memories came flooding back into his mind.

"Hey, remember when I told you what Fynn and I were doing that day when we went out and ran our "secret" errands together? All of that's still a work in progress, Tyler."

The order of protection.

"I still can't believe you guys did all that for me." A tiny smile appeared on Tyler's face. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You know, I think even without us, you would do amazingly. You're such a strong individual, Tyler."

"Thank you." Tyler took a moment to run his free hand through the top of his hair. "I'm nothing without my J, though."

"Nothing without you either, baby boy." There was a pause before Josh sighed. "I'm upset about what happened, but at the same time, I know what's most important to me. I'm so grateful to have you in my life and also to be able to talk with you like this."

"I'm grateful for you too, Joshua. To be honest, I've been waiting all day for this." Tyler laughed a little before taking a moment to sound the entire situation down into his heart. "But we can't let your dad or Gabriel take us down."

"You're right. We're stronger than that." There were a few moments of comfortable silence before Josh spoke again. "So, tell me something interesting about your day, baby."

"Well, I kinda kissed Oliver on the lips a little while ago."

A rumble of thunder went through the air as Josh replied, his tone saturated with obvious amusement. "Hey, didn't I say no funny business between you two?"

It wasn't long before another blush was on Tyler's cheeks. "It was an accident. I don't know if kissing the corner of my mouth really counts for anything, though."

"Hmm… not quite. But, you know, if you wanted to kiss Oliver, I would be fine with that."

"Really?" Tyler was genuinely surprised by that.

"Yeah, of course. You know how Fynn and I feel about the dynamic that you two have. Making out with each other? Well, maybe not. But simple kisses would be fine."

"Oh…" The idea of kissing Oliver made Tyler's cheeks burn even more. "Well, that's nice to know."

"If Oliver tells Fynn, which I'm sure he will, and he mentions it to me, then I'll be sure to ask Fynn what he thinks too. I have to admit, though, that I _do_ want your lips all to myself."

Tyler smiled. "Ditto. You're such a cutie."

"Joshua Dun is _not_ cute." There was a brief, entertaining pause. "He's only handsome."

"Fine. My _handsome_ , amazing Protector." Tyler turned over onto his side, a silly smile on his face. "I love you, Joshua."

"And I love you, sweet boy." Josh gave him an enthusiastic 'mwah' through the phone.

He gave him one back as his heart soared. "I miss you so much right now…"

"Me too. I wish you were here. I'd give you the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek."

"Weren't you just the one saying you wanted my lips all to yourself?" Tyler teased, giggling a little.

It wasn't long before the younger boy felt himself slip into his usual state of softness, a familiar feeling whenever he was around his Protector.

"Honestly… I want _all_ of you to myself, baby boy."

There was a pause that held so much opportunity within the seconds that it beared.

"All of me?" Tyler's voice was soft, cracking a little with anticipation as he wondered where Josh's train of thought would take them next.

"From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, doll face." Just like a familiar verse inside of his head, Tyler heard that beloved smile inside of Josh's voice. "Every part of you is so delicate and precious."

"You make me feel so special, Josh." A warm feeling washed over his heart as his voice dropped down to a whisper. "Want you here with me right now. Holding me, touching me, kissing me…"

"I love the look you get in your eyes when I touch you." With every word that Josh spoke, his voice took on more of a tilted, distant tone, one that signaled a departure from normal conversation into uncharted territory. "There's just something about it."

"Josh…"

"What are you thinking about, love?" Josh's voice was dripping with adoration, something that made Tyler smile.

"You." Tyler turned over onto his side, his thumb making its way up to his lips. "Everything about you."

"Ditto." Josh chuckled. "I'm thinking about you laying on the bed. You must look so gorgeous right now."

"Um, I have my floral kimono on…" Tyler said shyly.

"I take that back then. I _know_ you look beautiful right now."

"T-Thank you, J." Tyler bit down on the tip of his thumb. "What do you have on?"

"Just my boxers. I had to get out of those clothes as soon as I got back to my room."

"Sounds sexy," Tyler teased.

"It could be. Hearing what you have on excites me a little bit, to be honest."

"Tell me…" Tyler breathed out. "What else is happening inside of your head?"

"Do you really want to know my little fantasy?" Josh laughed softly.

"Please."

"I'm just imagining you on our bed, touching that body of yours." There was a brief pause. "Is that too much? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"No… it's a little exhilirating, actually." Tyler felt his Time Keeper start ticking just a little faster at his Protector's words. "Where am I touching?"

"Right now… your neck. Nowhere too scandalous." Josh laughed a little. "It's drifting, though…"

A familiar tingle went through Tyler's insides, settling deep within his lower stomach. "How does it look?"

"Gorgeous. My hand's on top of yours now and the look on your face is amazing."

Tyler couldn't help but giggle. Right now, his overall state was just an ungodly mix of softness and the slightest of arousal over what was happening.

_What was a Keeper to do?_

"I'd love to feel your real hands on mine right now," Tyler stated. "It'd be amazing."

"One hand is on your hipbone and the other is over your heart..." Josh's voice drifted off, much like imaginary fingers across the warm expanse of skin.

"Is it beating fast?"

"You tell me, sweet boy."

"Only you can make it race, J."

"Good. It's all mine." Another pause. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"I'm a little turned on right now, if I'm being completely honest. I hope that's not awful to say."

Tyler smiled a little. "Not at all, Josh. I am too."

"Aw, I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you. What can I say? I guess you have a way with words, Jishwa." He chuckled a little.

"We can keep talking and see where this goes?"

"I-I'd like that…"

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

Extra words were spared at no expense as Josh took Tyler on an intimate verbal journey.

"I miss the sweet smell of your skin," he said. "Having your scent on me feels amazing."

"Your scent is always like home to me, Jish. It's so… captivating."

"Can you feel my hands on you, baby boy?"

Tyler closed his eyes. "Yeah, all over me." He let his own hand drift over his lower stomach, fingernails dragging across warm skin. "It feels great."

"I bet you can guess where my hands are right now…" Josh chuckled.

Tyler smiled. "Well, one of them _has_ to be holding the phone, right?"

"Hey, how do you know I don't have you on speaker phone?"

"Silly Josh." Tyler's fingertips teased underneath the waistband of his underwear. "I'm thinking about your dick. That probably sounds super awkward."

"No, it's super _hot_. What about it, love?"

Tyler shrugged, even though he knew Josh couldn't see him. "Iunno. It's just really nice and I'm looking forward to when you can be inside of me again."

"Whenever you're ready for me, baby doll. You know I'm always ready to please you."

"You make me feel so good, J."

"Hang on a sec, angel." There were a few seconds of rustling around before Josh sighed. "Okay, I'm back."

"Everything okay?"

"I was taking off my underwear. One-handed, of course."

Tyler burst into a fit of giggles, body curling up to the side and face buried in his pillow. "Of course."

"I love you, sweet boy. Bet you look stunning right now."

"Aw, thank you. I love you too."

"Right now… I'm thinking about your lips. How soft and sweet they are. How red and swollen they get after we kiss for a while."

"Josh…"

"Drag your finger across your lips for me, baby doll."

Tyler let his finger drag across his lips, mind imagining it was Josh's finger the entire time. If he wasn't soft before, he _definitely_ was now.

"How does it feel?" Josh asked.

"Amazing."

By this time, Tyler heard short, soft breaths coming over the line, signaling that his Protector was up to something from across the country.

"You know, I really wish I had some lube." Josh laughed. "I love the lube that we use."

That made Tyler smile. "You know, when we went to the store earlier, Oliver dragged me over to the section where they have lube and condoms and he showed me his favorite lube that him and Fynnley use."

"Oh yeah?"

"It… it was tingly lube." Tyler's already burning face turned another shade of red.

"I already know you're blushing." Josh chuckled. "Did you buy it?"

"Of course not. I would have died at the cash register."

"Another _Secret Delights_ purchase it is, then."

"Oh, gosh…"

"Love you, Ty."

"Love you too, J." Tyler turned over and reached for the bedside table drawer. It didn't take long for him to pull out the aforementioned bottle of lube. "I have our lube in my hand."

"Yeah? And what do you plan on doing with that, cutie?" Josh teased.

"Stuff." Tyler smiled as he turned back over onto his back. Placing the bottle against his thigh, he let his hand go completely underneath the waistband of his underwear. "Take me away from here, Jishwa..."

"I'll take you to the stars, angel."

Tyler's breath hitched as he gave himself a few experimental touches. It felt like it'd been _so_ long since he'd done something like this to himself.

It was… tantalizing.

"How does it feel?" Tyler asked.

"Amazing," Josh replied. "Are you touching yourself?"

"I just started." Tyler balanced his phone in-between his ear and shoulder, hands moving to open the bottle of lube and spread it across himself. "This lube feels amazing."

"Don't rub it in. No pun intended."

Tyler laughed. "Sorry."

A few rumbles of thunder cascaded through the air, the sound grounding the younger boy in the moment as his hand slowly moved up and down.

"How does my hand feel around you, babe?"

"Great. How does mine feel?"

"Perfect."

Inside of his mind, Tyler couldn't believe what was happening right now. But... none of this even _felt_ like phone sex; things were far too soft and delicate for it to be something purely sexual.

Everything had meaning… just like it always did.

"I'm imagining looking into your eyes while we're doing this," Tyler said softly.

"Aw, my 'ol brown eyes?"

"Beautiful eyes," Tyler corrected. "Everything about you is beautiful, Joshua."

"You're gonna make me blush." Josh let out a breathy chuckle. "But what else should I expect from the love of my life?"

Tyler couldn't help but grin. Still balancing his phone on his shoulder, he let his free hand rest on his stomach, sighing a little as his other hand worked at himself. _Slow, but steady._

He listened to the soft moans coming from his Protector's mouth and took in the fact that there was nothing else he'd rather be doing except this.

"Wish you were here," Tyler mumbled.

"I wish I was there too, love," Josh said, his breath catching in his throat. "Just a little longer, okay?"

"Can you imagine us together? You whispering sweet nothings into my ear and me holding onto you, moaning your name?"

"God, baby." There was a brief pause as Josh hissed out an expletive.

"Language, J." Tyler smiled.

"Sorry, Ty. But I can imagine all that and more."

"I'm all yours. Every single inch of me."

Josh let out a louder moan. "All mine?"

"Y-Yes," Tyler breathed out. "I need you, Joshua. I felt so whole with you inside of me."

"I need you too, darling."

A period of wordlessness fell over the line as both boys tried their best to keep from falling over the edge, the absence between their last sexual encounter made painfully obvious.

"My legs are shaking," Tyler said, laughing a little.

"You're shaking and I'm _so_ close." He could hear the smile in Josh's voice. "Are you close, hun?"

"Always, for you."

Tyler's toes curled a little as he angled his hand differently. Heartbeat racing away, he barely even noticed the sound of more thunder, his heart and Time Keeper already engaged in an electrifying and frenetic connection with someone two thousand miles away.

Everything around him started to melt into one as his brain focused solely on the sensations coursing throughout his body. Biting down on his bottom lip, he hummed out a noise of pleasure as he felt himself become overwhelmed by his feelings.

"J… I can't… I'm gonna…"

"Come for me, angel."

Moans rising an octave, Tyler twisted to the side, hand tightening around himself. Everything -- the aching, the pressure -- exploded into a million pieces inside of his lower stomach. It didn't take long for the intensity to take over his breath, trapping the air in its journey from his lungs to the air surrounding him.

It was a beautiful few moments, all of it culminating in white heat spreading across his stomach.

"Breathe it out for me, sweet boy," Josh said, his own voice laden with pleasure as he reached his own peak.

The next minute or so was filled with nothing but harsh breathing as the vice grip on Tyler's lungs finally released and said boy slowly fell back down to Earth.

"J-Josh…" Tyler's voice cracked as he spoke, pure elation flooding his veins.

"Hey, are you with me?"

"I… I think so." Tyler finally let go of himself, hand a bit cramped up from the repetitive motions. "Hi," he said shyly.

"Well hello there." Tyler could almost see Josh's blindingly bright smile. "Just relax, sweetness."

Tyler sighed, the rush of air signaling the dissipation of any leftover tension inside of his body. "That was…"

"Probably the softest phone sex ever?"

"Maybe. I don't really have much to compare it to." Tyler bit his lip, closing his eyes as he felt the little bit of shyness inside of his bones bloom into something that took his breath away and made him want to hide his face inside of his hands.

"I'm honored to have been your first, baby boy."

"Always." Tyler smiled. "All for you, J."

Josh chuckled. "Talk about a great stress reliever."

Tyler reached over for the box of tissues on his bedside table. "Talk about a fine mess."

"You already know I think it's insanely hot."

"I guess it's a good mess then."

"Exactly." Josh laughed. "You're a doll, Tyler. Lots of cum and all."

Finished with cleaning himself off, Tyler adjusted his floral kimono, a goofy smile on his face. "You're a doll too, Josh. Lots of cheese and all."

"The cheesiest Protector ever."

"No, I think that title belongs to Fynn."

Josh laughed again. "Yeah, you're right." There was some rustling in the background. "Hang on, sweetheart."

Tyler took the free few moments to check the clock. It was after 12:30AM, which surprised him. _An hour with Josh had flown by so easily…_

It was worth every second, though.

"Alright, I'm back."

"Where did you go?"

"To clean up and put my underwear back on." Josh chuckled. "I'm not quite in the mood for going commando in this bed tonight."

"You can only go commando in the best beds, of course," Tyler teased, giggling a little.

" _Our_ bed is the best bed," Josh said. "Seriously, though, baby… I really enjoyed that and I hope you did too."

"I did. You're so sweet to me, Josh. Everything was so lovely and intimate." Tyler closed his eyes again, a soft smile on his face.

"Of course, darling. Nothing but the best for my sweet boy."

"Hey…"

"Yeah?"

Tyler turned onto his side and curled his legs up into his body. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, baby."

"Come home to me soon, okay?"

"I will. Promise."

Tyler gave him another kiss through the phone and smiled. "I'll hold you to that, Mr. Dun." He paused for a moment to yawn. "Gosh, I'm tired now."

Josh chuckled. "Well, it is late there. You should close those pretty eyes of yours and get some rest."

"Aww. Will you text me in the morning?"

"Of course I will, sweetheart."

"I love you so much, Josh." Tyler felt a comfortable ache settle over his heart. "Talk to you tomorrow."

"I love you too, princess. Good night."

When Tyler hung up the phone, he basked in the feeling of a full Time Keeper, the one piece of him that held the key to such a deep connection with Josh.

It was… ethereal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.
> 
> What is your unpopular opinion about TØP/Tyler/Josh/anything else?
> 
> Bonus question: What did you think of Tyler and Josh's encounter?


End file.
